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Science 2 October 1970:
Vol. 170. no. 3953, pp. 57 - 61
DOI: 10.1126/science.170.3953.57
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Articles

Brines and Interstitial Brackish Water in Drill Cores from the Deep Gulf of Mexico

F. T. Manheim 1 and F. L. Sayles 2

1 U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543
2 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Marked increases in interstitial salinity occur in two drill holes located in the Gulf of Mexico at a water depth of more than 3500 meters. The increases probably arose through diffusion of salt from buried evaporites. In one hole, however, brackish water was encountered on penetrating the oil-permeated cap rock of a salt dome. The phenomenon is attributed to production of fresh water during oxidation of petroleum hydrocarbons and decomposition of gypsum to form native sulfur.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Red Sea Drillings.
D. A. Ross, D. A. Ross, R. B. Whitmarsh, S. A. Ali, J. E. Boudreaux, R. Coleman, R. L. Fleisher, R. Girdler, F. Manheim, A. Matter, et al. (1973)
Science 179, 377-380
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)