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2003 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

Fossil cold seep assemblages in shallow water deposits do occur in regressive facies !?

Research Project

Project/Area Number 13640468
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field Stratigraphy/Paleontology
Research InstitutionYokohama National University

Principal Investigator

MAJIMA Ryuichi  Yokohama National University, Faculty of Human and Educational Sciences, Professor, 教育人間科学部, 教授 (30202310)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) WADA Hideki  Shizuko University, Faculty of Sciences, Professor, 理学部, 教授 (20126791)
Project Period (FY) 2001 – 2003
KeywordsJapan / Glacio-eustatic change / Early Pleistocene / Chemoautotrophic assemblage / Methane seep / Carbonate concretion / Carbon stable isotope / Regressive facies
Research Abstract

Fossil chemoautotrophic assemblages in Japan can be divided into three types, based on species composition, mode of occurrence, and palaeobathymetric distribution. Type 1 is dominated commonly by vesicomyid bivalves and/or tube worms, and characterised by its allochthonous or parautochthonous mode of occurrence in deep-water settings, along with tectonically-or sedimentologically-induced structures such as faults, slumps, diapirs, or debris flows. Some Type 1 assemblages are comparable to modern cold-seep communities around Japan at depths of more than about 500 m, living on scarps and talus deposits, whereas other Type 1 assemblages are seemingly related to slope failures and sediment collapses caused by the drastic decomposition of gas hydrates. Type 2 assemblages are also dominated by vesicomyid bivalves, but usually the species differ from those in Type 1. In contrast with Type 1 assemblages, Type 2 assemblages are characterised by autochthonous occurrences in muddy sediments in le … More ss than 1,000 m water depth. Type 3 assemblages are dominated by Lucinoma and/or Conchocele and are characterised by autochthonous occurrences in muddy sediments at water depths of less than 300 m. No living community comparable with Types 2 and 3 assemblages has yet been observed in the seas around Japan. It is noteworthy that no tectonically-or sedimentologically-induced structures, such as faults, slumps and/or debris-flow deposits, have been observed in and around Type 2 and 3 fossil localities, although the muddy sediments sometimes show brecciated facies that suggest an explosive effusion of methane. Occurrences of Types 2 and 3 may have been synchronous with sea-level changes that triggered methane-hydrate decomposition and/or the upward migration of methane gas. This working hypothesis may also explain why there in no comparable modern community made up of these types : present-day sea level is stable compared to the ancient sea levels when Type 2 and 3 fossil assemblages flourished. Less

  • Research Products

    (8 results)

All Other

All Publications (8 results)

  • [Publications] 池田和寛, 間嶋隆一, 和田秀樹, 加藤和浩: "宮崎層群高鍋層の冷湧水牲化学合成群集"化石. 73. 1-2 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Nobuhara, T., Majima, R., Hikida, Y., Kitazaki, T.: "Carbonate rocks of fossil chemosynthetic assemblages in Japan."Paleontological Research. 7・4. 277 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Kitazaki, T., Majima, R.: "A slope to outer-shelf cold-seep assemblage in the Plioc-Plesitocene Kazusa Group, Pacific side of central Japan."Paleontological Research. 7・4. 279-296 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Majima, R., Ikeda, K., Wada, H., Kato, K.: "An outer-shelf cold-seep assemblage in forearc basin fill, Pliocene Takanabe Formation, Kyushu Island, Japan."Paleontological Research. 7・4. 297-311 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Majima, R., Ikeda, K., Wada, H., Kato, K.: "An outer-shelf cold-seep assemblage in forearc basin fill, Pliocene Takanabe Formation, Kyushu Island, Japan"Paleontological Research. 7. 297-311 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Kitazaki, T., Majima, R.: "A slope to outer-shelf cold-seep assemblage in the Plico-Plesitocene Kazusa Group, Pacific side of central Japan."Paleontological Research. 7. 279-296 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Nobuhara, T., Majima, R., Hikida, Y., Kitazaki, T.: "Carbonate rocks of fossil chemosynthetic assemblages in Japan."Paleontological Research. 7. 277 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Ikeda, K., Majima, R., Wada, H., Kato, K.: "A cold-seep assemblage from the Takanabe Formation, Miyazaki Prefectire, Kyushu, Japan."Fossils.. 73. 1-2

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より

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Published: 2005-04-19  

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