From hydrothermal systems to mud volcanoes: Planet-scale impacts of piercements in sedimentary basins

Research and education activities continued during the period 2022-2023 in the framework of the HOTMUD project. Field and education activities in cooperation with the Russian partners that were postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak (in particular the onshore and offshore expeditions), finally had to be frozen after the beginning of the Ukrainian conflict. Nevertheless, the HOTMUD activities continued with additional planned training and education initiatives including one marine expedition (CAGE22-6 / TTR-22 cruise), two organized summers schools in Azerbaijan (AZ-2022, AZ-2023), one DEEP intensive course. one field expedition in Antarctica (Seneca 2022), three field expedition (Indonesia and Japan), and participating and convening conferences (EGU 2022, EGU2023, LPI 2022, IIGCE 2023 Conferences). The conference contributions are co-authored by members of the HOTMUD team. A new Japanese partner joined the HOTMUD team, and a fruitful cooperation is now ongoing including data sharing, field activities, and conference presentations. HOTMUD also initiated a cooperation with NPD to conduct research in the Norwegian Channel methane seeps. The results of the 2022-2023 HOTMUD activities resulted in the publication of a dozen of articles and nearly 30 abstract and conference presentation (see list attached). Dedicated presentation during invited seminars and international workshops are also part of the dissemination activities. Below follows some highlights of the main activities. Barents Sea CAGE22-6 / TTR-22 cruise expedition The activities of the Training Through Research (TTR) program (of which HOTMUD is partner) successfully completed 21 expeditions throughout the European and Arctic margins. The HOTMUD team contributed to organize the TTR20 expedition in collaboration with the University of Tromsø. The expedition took place in August 2022 in the Norwegian Barents Sea to investigate oil slick emission spots and extensive gas leakage from the seafloor. Gas release is typically associated with eroded structures within glacimarine landforms and depositional systems. The data collected identified areas of focused fluid discharge within Sentralbanken High (Hopendjupet), Storbanken High, and Kong Karls Platform. ~20 scientists and students from 10 different nationalities participated to the expedition. Daily lectures and training courses were completed on board during the expedition. These data will be used for their Master and PhD theses. Fieldwork at the Lusi eruption Indonesia and in Japan Two field campaigns have been conducted at the Lusi eruption site (Indonesia) to continue our activities at this specular eruption site. During the March 2023 fieldwork we conducted a survey of the embankment region, completed a drone survey and fluids sampling. The September 2023 fieldwork completed the installation of seismometers, monitoring sensors and fluids sampling. In June 2023 Fieldwork at the Goshogake geothermal field (Japan). During the fieldwork we completed fluid sampling at active degassing sites. Expedition in Antarctica Between December 2022 - February 2023 the expedition in Antarctica was completed in the framework of the Seneca project (SourcE and impact of greeNhousE gasses in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica). Field activities included geochemical investigation surveys in the Taylor and Wright Valleys. The final goal of the investigation was to identify the source and impact of potential degassing ongoing in Antarctica where permafrost thawing has been inferred. Azerbaijan Summer School: Sept. 2022-2023 The Azerbaijan Field Workshop on "Mud volcanism and Petroleum System" took place between the August-September 2022 and August 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The event was organized in cooperation with the HOTMUD partners of the Oil & Gas Institute (Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences). The school was open for undergraduate students, PhD and scientists/specialists. More than 30 participants from a dozen different institutions and countries attended the whole course. DEEP course The Norwegian Research School for Dynamics and Evolution of Earth and Planets (DEEP) at the University of Oslo, and the HOTMUD team organized the course GEO-DEEP9400 with the thematic “Solid Earth – Fluid Earth Interactions”. 20 students including HOTMUD members attended and successfully completed the course. Conferences EGU conferences 2022-2023: European general Assembly in Vienna. Adriano Mazzini convened both session and presented 16 contributions. IIGCE 2023: Between the 18-22 September 2023, Adriano Mazzini was chairman of session Maximizing Production for Geothermal Resources at the THE 9TH INDONESIA INTERNATIONAL GEOTHERMAL CONVENTION & EXHIBITION and presented two separate contributions. EPSC2022 Conferences: Presenting studies on the Martian surface investigating morphologies related to hydrothermal and sedimentary volcanism. Goldschmidt 2022: Results of our investigations on the Lusi eruption and Antarctica

CEED and the Department of Geosciences (GEO) at the University of Oslo have been pioneering the studies of piercements triggered by the emplacement of magma in sedimentary basins or by the generation of hydrocarbons in organic-rich basins. Vast areas offshore Norway are populated by a large variety of modern and palaeo piercements that are currently focus of great interest. These geological structures represent one of the most intriguing phenomena of the Earth's crust, not least for its implications in energy resource exploration, seismicity, geohazard and atmospheric budget of greenhouse gases released at present and during the global climate crises characterizing our planet’s history. The research community investigating piercements includes research domains that often do not interact. HOTMUD proposes to set the bases for a multidisciplinary platform for research and education with some of the best Institutes including Norway (CEED-UIO and CAGE-UIT), Russia (Moscow State University and Irkutsk National Research Technical University), USA (University of California, Berkeley), Japan (Kitami Institute of Technology) that conduct similar, but also complimentary activities on this topic. Tapping from the know-how and the already existing network of each institute, we plan to design a novel course in the framework of the Norwegian graduate school DEEP (coordinated by CEED) covering all the topics related to piercements structures. Engaging a long- and short-term students and researchers mobility, we plan to establish a virtuous circle of research and education through a “Floating University” model for offshore missions and equivalent onshore seminars and field campaigns at exclusive loclities. Our model will allow students to actively participate to research while learning multidisciplinary approaches providing the flavour of discoveries that ultimately drive scientists worldwide.