Comment on "Evidence for the biotic origin of seabed pockmarks on the Australian continental shelf" by R. J. Mueller [Marine and Petroleum Geology (2015) doi 10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2014.12.016]  

Authors / CoAuthors

Nicholas, W.A. | Nichol, S.L. | Kool, J. | Carroll, A.G. | Rollet, N

Abstract

It is with great interest that we read the paper by Mueller (2015) who proposes that the majority of small pockmarks with diameters less than about 10 m on the northwest shelf of Australia may be of biotic origin, created by the fish Epinephelus, the Grouper. This hypothesis is based on a spatial association between pockmarks and Epinephelus at a number of sites on the northwest shelf and elsewhere around Australia, and on recent work undertaken on the habitats and observed behaviours of grouper fish in the Gulf of Mexico who excavate sediment from pre-existing solution cavities (Coleman et al., 2010; Wall et al., 2011). However, we contend that critical details have not been taken into account as part of Mueller's (2015) hypothesis, and additional consideration of existing geologic, geomorphic, sedimentologic and geochemical information is required. To make the science more robust, here we present a more comprehensive overview of the information available.

Product Type

model

eCat Id

83697

Contact for the resource

Keywords

• External Publication

( Theme )

• Continental Shelf

( Theme )

• Geosciences

( Theme )

• sedimentary basins

( Theme )

• seabed

( Theme )

• fluid flow pathways

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

• Marine Geoscience

• Published_Internal

Publication Date

2015-01-01T00:00:00

Creation Date

Security Constraints

Australian Government Security ClassificationSystem    

Classification - unclassified

Legal Constraints

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence    

Access - license

Use - license

Status

Purpose

Maintenance Information

asNeeded

Topic Category

geoscientificInformation

Series Information

Lineage

This manuscript was written following an article by Mueller (2015) suggesting that most pockmarks on the Australian Northwest shelf were excavated by fish, with little if any supporting evidence. We wrote this manuscript to bring attention to the need for multiple lines of evidence and a greater critical assessment of any data before it would be possible to attribute pockmark formation to any specific process.

Parent Information

Extents

Reference System

Spatial Resolution

Service Information

Associations

Downloads and Links

Source Information

Source data not available.