Technical Luncheons
The Azolla Story: Implications for Climate Change and Arctic Petroleum Source Rocks
Speakers:
Jonathan Bujak,
Bujak Research Limited
Date/Time: Tuesday, May 6, 2008 - 11:30 am
Location: Telus
Convention Centre - Calgary, Alberta
The cut-off date for ticket sales is 1:00 pm, Thursday, May 1st, 2008*
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ABSTRACT
The modern icehouse world is characterised by bipolar glaciation, which results from relatively low levels of atmospheric CO2 and thermal isolation of the poles from lower latitude warm oceanic currents. In contrast, the Mesozoic greenhouse world had no permanent glaciation at either pole, with the greenhouse state continuing through the K/T boundary into the Paleocene.
At the end of the Paleocene, the PETM(1) was triggered by extreme levels of greenhouse gases due to extensive volcanism and the expulsion of submarine methane hydrates. This resulted in the highest temperatures known for the Cenozoic, characterising a super greenhouse state that persisted through the Early Eocene. It is therefore surprising that various independent parameters indicate that the super greenhouse was truncated in the earliest Middle Eocene by the initial shift towards modern icehouse. Estimates of atmospheric CO2 values show a major decrease at this time, but this cannot be explained by 'normal' sequestration processes. Instead, a unique geological event is proposed to explain this fall, centred on processes within the Arctic Ocean Basin.
"The Azolla Model" is based on ACEX(2) cores from Lomonosov Ridge plus unpublished data from 65 Arctic petroleum exploration wells(3). The model combines oceanographic reconstructions for the basin with a major decrease in greenhouse gases during the middle Eocene. The Arctic Ocean Basin was largely enclosed following uplift of the Greenland Mantle Plume, with elevated temperatures, evaporation and precipitation leading to increased runoff and the development of extensive surface freshwater plumes. These were colonised by floating mats of the opportunistic freshwater fern Azolla, which persisted for up to 800,000 years as a series of repeated cyclical events.
Modern Azolla is one of the fastest growing plants on the planet and draws down large quantities of carbon and nitrogen. Calculations of carbon drawdown combined with the large potential areas of Azolla development in the Arctic, plus the 800,000 year time frame indicate levels of CO2 sequestration that are easily sufficient to shift the world from Mesozoic - Early Eocene greenhouse towards the modern icehouse world. The model also indicates the deposition of potentially widespread petroleum source rocks across the Arctic due to the massive carbon drawdown. It is currently being tested by multidisciplinary teams at ACEX and various universities worldwide, and it has already attracted considerable attention including articles in National Geographic (May 2005), Nature (June 1, 2006), and the New York Times (November 20, 2004).
(1) Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum
(2) Arctic Coring Expedition
(3) Bujak Research non-exclusive well studies
BIOGRAPHY
Jonathon Bujak received his B.Sc. (Honours) in 1969 from the University of Sheffield where he later completed his PhD in Palynology. His thesis title was "Microplankton from the Barton Beds of the Hampshire Basin, southern England". He was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society of London in 1988.
Dr. Bujak has worked in both industry and research, applying his palynological expertise at Robertson Research in Calgary and Dartmouth (Canada), Mobil Oil Corp. in Dallas and the GSC's Bedford Institute of Oceanography, also in Dartmouth. His time with the GSC involved several concurrent projects that were also associated with both the Hydrocarbon Assessment Group and the Atlantic Geoscience Centre.
Most recently, Dr. Bujak has been consulting for industry and governments through his company, Bujak Research International Ltd, specializing in the biostratigraphy of NW Europe, the North Sea, and surrounds. He is involved in teaching courses on biostratigraphy worldwide and has authored over 80 publications and abstracts.
