地震地质 ›› 2025, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (1): 90-116.DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.0253-4967.2025.01.007

• 综述 • 上一篇    下一篇

中国泥火山的主要分布及研究进展

汪倩1)(), 彭莱1,2), 蒋雨函1), 周启超1,2), 高小其1),*()   

  1. 1) 应急管理部国家自然灾害防治研究院, 地壳动力学重点实验室, 北京 100085
    2) 中国科学院大学, 应急管理科学与工程学院, 北京 100049
  • 收稿日期:2024-01-24 修回日期:2024-04-13 出版日期:2025-02-20 发布日期:2025-04-09
  • 通讯作者: 高小其
  • 作者简介:

    汪倩, 女, 1998年生, 2025年于应急管理部国家自然灾害防治研究院所获地球物理学专业硕士学位, 主要从事地下流体和地球化学研究工作, E-mail:

  • 基金资助:
    中国地震局地质研究所国家野外科学观测研究站研究项目(NORSCBS21-02); 国家重点研发计划项目(2019YFC1509203); 应急管理部国家自然灾害防治研究院基本科研业务专项(ZDJ2021-11); 河北红山野外站科研专项(DZ2021110800001)

THE DISTRIBUTION AND RESEARCH PROGRESS OF MAIN MUD VOLCANOES IN CHINA

WANG Qian1)(), PENG Lai1,2), JIANG Yu-han1), ZHOU Qi-chao1,2), GAO Xiao-qi1),*()   

  1. 1) Key Laboratory of Crustal Dynamics, National Institute of Natural Hazards, Ministry of Emergency Management of China, Beijing 100085, China
    2) School of Emergency Management Science and Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2024-01-24 Revised:2024-04-13 Online:2025-02-20 Published:2025-04-09
  • Contact: GAO Xiao-qi

摘要: 文中在系统介绍中国泥火山主要分布及研究进展的基础上, 对不同地区泥火山喷出物的物理和地球化学特征进行了分析。结果表明, 中国泥火山均沿断层或断裂带分布, 主要分布在新疆、西藏和台湾地区, 且各地区泥火山的固体喷出物矿物组分相似(如石英); 液体喷出物含盐度高, 对其进行地球化学分析发现, 泥浆水分别来自于古沉积物孔隙水、深层地下水和海洋沉积孔隙水与大气降水的混合, 分析泥火山泥浆水的来源有助于了解流体上移过程发生的改造作用; 大部分泥火山喷出气体以甲烷为主, 根据碳同位素特征可知, 泥火山喷出气体中CH4均为有机成因。现有研究结论表明, 地震发生前后泥火山会出现明显异常现象, 对泥火山的长期监测可作为地震预测的依据。

关键词: 泥火山, 地球化学, 地震监测, 地震预测, 同位素地球化学

Abstract:

This paper provides an overview of the distribution and research progress of mud volcanoes in China, and offers a comparative analysis of the physical and geochemical characteristics of mud volcano emissions from various regions. The findings are as follows:

Mud volcanoes in China are predominantly located along faults or fault zones, primarily in seismically active regions such as Xinjiang, Tibet, and Taiwan. A comparative analysis of emissions from different regions reveals that the solid components—primarily minerals like quartz and montmorillonite—are similar across locations. The liquid emissions generally exhibit high salinity. Geochemical analysis indicates regional differences in the sources of the emitted mud water: in Xinjiang, it mainly derives from a mixture of ancient sediment pore water and atmospheric precipitation; in Tibet, it originates from deep groundwater and atmospheric precipitation; and in Taiwan, it comes from marine sediment pore water mixed with atmospheric precipitation.

In terms of gas emissions, methane is the predominant gas released by most mud volcanoes in the study area, with smaller amounts of ethane, carbon dioxide, and other hydrocarbons. Notably, some mud volcanoes in Taiwan region emit higher concentrations of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, with smaller amounts of methane. Carbon isotope analysis of the emitted gases shows that the methane is of organic origin, as indicated by δ13C1 values.

In addition to the geochemical analysis, the microbial communities associated with mud volcanoes are also significant. The origin of methane suggests the presence of methane-producing microbial communities in the surrounding environments of onshore mud volcanoes. These microbes, including aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria and anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea, play a role in the formation of the emitted gases. In particular, these microorganisms are found in the soil environments of mud volcanoes in eastern Taiwan region, Wusu(Xinjiang), and Dushanzi(Xinjiang), where they use carbon dioxide as a carbon source to produce methane. In submarine mud volcanoes, the eruption process provides conditions for the growth of marine microorganisms, including methane-producing bacteria.

Mud volcanoes are generally triggered by four main factors: volcanic activity, tectonic activity, sedimentary processes, and anthropogenic influences. Given their prevalence in seismically active zones, the activity of mud volcanoes is often induced by seismic events. Eruptions typically result from increased pore pressure within the surrounding rock layers. Significant physical and chemical anomalies, including elevated gas emissions and changes in the height of the mud surface, are observed before and after seismic events. For example, following the establishment of a real-time monitoring system for the Wusu mud volcano in Xinjiang in 2011, multiple earthquakes in the area were associated with changes in the mud volcano's liquid level and increased emissions of methane(CH4)and carbon dioxide(CO2), which gradually returned to background levels post-earthquake. These geochemical changes have been observed in other regions as well, such as the hydro geochemical changes in the north Tianshan Mountains, following the Xinyuan MS6.6 earthquake.

These observations suggest that mud volcano emissions may serve as indicators of seismic activity. Long-term monitoring of mud volcanoes could potentially offer a means of predicting seismic events.

Key words: Mud volcanoes, geochemistry, seismic monitoring, earthquake prediction, isotope geochemistry