Hensen Christian

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Last Name
Hensen
First Name
Christian
ORCID
0000-0002-6160-9675

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  • Article
    Offshore freshened groundwater in continental margins
    (American Geophysical Union, 2020-11-20) Micallef, Aaron ; Person, Mark ; Berndt, Christian ; Bertoni, Claudia ; Cohen, Denis ; Dugan, Brandon ; Evans, Rob L. ; Haroon, Amir ; Hensen, Christian ; Jegen, Marion ; Key, Kerry ; Kooi, Henk ; Liebetrau, Volker ; Lofi, Johanna ; Mailloux, Brian J. ; Martin-Nagle, Renée ; Michael, Holly A. ; Müller, Thomas ; Schmidt, Mark ; Schwalenberg, Katrin ; Trembath-Reichert, Elizabeth ; Weymer, Bradley ; Zhang, Yipeng ; Thomas, Ariel T.
    First reported in the 1960s, offshore freshened groundwater (OFG) has now been documented in most continental margins around the world. In this review we compile a database documenting OFG occurrences and analyze it to establish the general characteristics and controlling factors. We also assess methods used to map and characterize OFG, identify major knowledge gaps, and propose strategies to address them. OFG has a global volume of 1 × 106 km3; it predominantly occurs within 55 km of the coast and down to a water depth of 100 m. OFG is mainly hosted within siliciclastic aquifers on passive margins and recharged by meteoric water during Pleistocene sea level lowstands. Key factors influencing OFG distribution are topography-driven flow, salinization via haline convection, permeability contrasts, and the continuity/connectivity of permeable and confining strata. Geochemical and stable isotope measurements of pore waters from boreholes have provided insights into OFG emplacement mechanisms, while recent advances in seismic reflection profiling, electromagnetic surveying, and numerical models have improved our understanding of OFG geometry and controls. Key knowledge gaps, such as the extent and function of OFG, and the timing of their emplacement, can be addressed by the application of isotopic age tracers, joint inversion of electromagnetic and seismic reflection data, and development of three-dimensional hydrological models. We show that such advances, combined with site-specific modeling, are necessary to assess the potential use of OFG as an unconventional source of water and its role in sub-seafloor geomicrobiology.
  • Article
    Characteristics and evolution of sill-driven off-axis hydrothermalism in Guaymas Basin - the Ringvent site
    (Nature Research, 2019-09-25) Teske, Andreas ; McKay, Luke J. ; Ravelo, Ana Christina ; Aiello, Ivano ; Mortera, Carlos ; Núñez-Useche, Fernando ; Canet, Carles ; Chanton, Jeffrey P. ; Brunner, Benjamin ; Hensen, Christian ; Ramírez, Gustavo A. ; Sibert, Ryan J. ; Turner, Tiffany ; Chambers, Christopher R. ; Buckley, Andrew ; Joye, Samantha B. ; Soule, S. Adam ; Lizarralde, Daniel
    The Guaymas Basin spreading center, at 2000 m depth in the Gulf of California, is overlain by a thick sedimentary cover. Across the basin, localized temperature anomalies, with active methane venting and seep fauna exist in response to magma emplacement into sediments. These sites evolve over thousands of years as magma freezes into doleritic sills and the system cools. Although several cool sites resembling cold seeps have been characterized, the hydrothermally active stage of an off-axis site was lacking good examples. Here, we present a multidisciplinary characterization of Ringvent, an ~1 km wide circular mound where hydrothermal activity persists ~28 km northwest of the spreading center. Ringvent provides a new type of intermediate-stage hydrothermal system where off-axis hydrothermal activity has attenuated since its formation, but remains evident in thermal anomalies, hydrothermal biota coexisting with seep fauna, and porewater biogeochemical signatures indicative of hydrothermal circulation. Due to their broad potential distribution, small size and limited life span, such sites are hard to find and characterize, but they provide critical missing links to understand the complex evolution of hydrothermal systems.