Naphthides of continental hydrotherms <i>(Uzon, Yellowstone, New Zealand)</i>: Geochemistry and genesis

Abstract

Abstract We summarize and analyze the available data on naphthide shows in continental zones of active hydrothermal and modern volcanic activity (Uzon Volcano caldera, Yellowstone National Park, and New Zealand springs) and examine their similarity and difference. The analysis demonstrated that hydrothermal naphthides formed from lipids of living matter of different nature: phytoplankton, bacterial communities, archaea, and remains of higher land plants, including spores and pollen, which might have been supplied to the sediment through eolian transportation. Hydrothermal naphthides are different in the degree of maturity, but in general they are less transformed than most of basin oils. Their group composition and distribution of n-alkanes evidence that they were subject to hypergenesis, which led to the loss of light fractions, oxidation, and biodegradation.