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Authigenic Gypsum Precipitation in the ARAON Mounds, East Siberian Sea. MINERALS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/min12080983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Authigenic gypsum has been observed in marine methane hydrate-bearing sediments throughout the last decade. However, changes in mineral composition and gypsum precipitation in methane emission environments have not yet been reported in the Arctic. Expeditions aboard R/V ARAON revealed several mound structures described as active seeps, which were given the name ARAON Mounds (AMs). Core sediments from the AMs provide an excellent opportunity to research authigenic mineral production in the Arctic methane environment. We identified sedimentary units and investigated the mineral composition of gravity cores from the AMs and a background site. The background core ARA09C-St13, obtained between the mound structures, contains five sedimentary units that extend from the Chukchi Rise to Chukchi Basin, and core sediments from the AMs contain three sedimentary units in the same order. The fundamental difference between AMs and the background site is the lack of dolomite and abundance of gypsum in AMs. This gypsum precipitated authigenically in situ based on its morphological features. Precipitation was more closely associated with the absence of dolomite than the location of the sulfate–methane transition according to the vertical distribution of gypsum in the sediment. Chemical weathering and gypsum overgrowth were confirmed on dolomite surfaces recovered from the AMs, suggesting that dolomite dissolution is the primary source of Ca for gypsum precipitation. Dissolution of biological carbonates and ion exclusion may provide Ca for gypsum precipitation, but this mechanism appears to be secondary, as gypsum is present only in sedimentary units containing dolomite. The main sources of sulfate were inferred to be oxidation of H2S and disproportionation of sulfide, as no sulfide other than gypsum was observed. Our findings reveal that gypsum precipitation linked to methane emission in the Arctic Ocean occurs mainly in dolomite-rich sediments, suggesting that gypsum is a suitable proxy for identifying methane hydrate zones in the Arctic Ocean.
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Mechanisms for Overpressure Development in Marine Sediments. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse10040490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Overpressure is widely developed in marine sediments; it is not only a critical factor related to hydrocarbon accumulation, but also a serious safety issue for oil/gas exploration and exploitation. Although the mechanisms for overpressure development in sedimentary basins have been intensively studied, some new mechanisms are proposed for overpressure development with the advancements in marine geological investigation, e.g., natural gas hydrate formation and microbial activity. In this study, the mechanisms for overpressure development are reviewed and further classified as being related to associated physical, chemical, and biological processes. The physical overpressure mechanisms include disequilibrium compaction, hydrate formation sealing, degasification, buoyancy, hydrothermal pressuring, tectonic movement, overpressure transfer, etc. The chemical overpressure mechanisms are ascribed to hydrate decomposition, diagenesis, hydrocarbon generation, etc. The biological overpressure mechanisms are mainly induced by microbial gas production and microbial plugging. In gas hydrate-bearing sediments, overpressure is a critical factor affecting the formation and distribution of gas hydrate. The mechanisms for overpressure development in marine gas hydrate systems are associated with permeability deterioration due to hydrate formation and free gas accumulation below bottom-simulating reflectors (BSR). In marine sediments, overpressure developments are generally related to a sediment layer of low permeability above and natural gas accumulation below, and overpressure is mainly developed below a sulphate–methane interface (SMI), because methane will be consumed by anaerobic oxidation above SMI.
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Forecast of Gas Hydrates Distribution Zones in the Arctic Ocean and Adjacent Offshore Areas. GEOSCIENCES 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/geosciences8120453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Gas hydrates (GH) are perspective energy sources, containing significantly more gas resources compared with conventional fields. At the same time, GH pose a danger for exploration and production of hydrocarbon fields. Methane release to the atmosphere is also a substantial factor of climate change. The objective of this research was the forecast of distribution of zones, favorable for GH existence in the Arctic Ocean and adjacent offshore areas, limited by the 45° latitude. For conducting research, existent data of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on near-bottom water temperatures was analyzed. Using CSMHYD software, based on empirical equations of GH stability, minimal depths appropriate for methane hydrates formation at different temperatures were calculated. On the basis of obtained values, a cartographic scheme with a zone favorable for methane hydrates existence was created. The zone corresponded to distribution of BSRs defined in seismic sections, including those discovered for the first time on the continental slope of the Laptev Sea and in the TINRO Depression of the Sea of Okhotsk. Besides, the zone concurred with the results of other authors research, summarized in the geoinformation system “AWO” (The Arctic and the World Ocean), which could verify the validity of conducted forecast.
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Spatial Variation in Sediment Organic Carbon Distribution across the Alaskan Beaufort Sea Shelf. ENERGIES 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/en10091265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Hong WL, Torres ME, Carroll J, Crémière A, Panieri G, Yao H, Serov P. Seepage from an arctic shallow marine gas hydrate reservoir is insensitive to momentary ocean warming. Nat Commun 2017; 8:15745. [PMID: 28589962 PMCID: PMC5477557 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Arctic gas hydrate reservoirs located in shallow water and proximal to the sediment-water interface are thought to be sensitive to bottom water warming that may trigger gas hydrate dissociation and the release of methane. Here, we evaluate bottom water temperature as a potential driver for hydrate dissociation and methane release from a recently discovered, gas-hydrate-bearing system south of Spitsbergen (Storfjordrenna, ∼380 m water depth). Modelling of the non-steady-state porewater profiles and observations of distinct layers of methane-derived authigenic carbonate nodules in the sediments indicate centurial to millennial methane emissions in the region. Results of temperature modelling suggest limited impact of short-term warming on gas hydrates deeper than a few metres in the sediments. We conclude that the ongoing and past methane emission episodes at the investigated sites are likely due to the episodic ventilation of deep reservoirs rather than warming-induced gas hydrate dissociation in this shallow water seep site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Li Hong
- CAGE-Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate, Department of Geosciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø N-9037, Norway
| | - Marta E Torres
- CEOAS, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331, Oregon, USA
| | - JoLynn Carroll
- CAGE-Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate, Department of Geosciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø N-9037, Norway.,Akvaplan-niva AS, Fram Centre, Tromsø N-9296, Norway
| | | | - Giuliana Panieri
- CAGE-Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate, Department of Geosciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø N-9037, Norway
| | - Haoyi Yao
- CAGE-Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate, Department of Geosciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø N-9037, Norway
| | - Pavel Serov
- CAGE-Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate, Department of Geosciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø N-9037, Norway
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RUAN AG, LI JB, CHU FY, LI XY. AVO Numerical Simulation of Gas Hydrate Reflectors Beneath Seafloor. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.1002/cjg2.994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Chabert A, Minshull TA, Westbrook GK, Berndt C, Thatcher KE, Sarkar S. Characterization of a stratigraphically constrained gas hydrate system along the western continental margin of Svalbard from ocean bottom seismometer data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2011jb008211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Bünz S, Mienert J. Acoustic imaging of gas hydrate and free gas at the Storegga Slide. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004. [DOI: 10.1029/2003jb002863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Bünz
- Department of Geology; University of Tromsø; Tromsø Norway
| | - Jürgen Mienert
- Department of Geology; University of Tromsø; Tromsø Norway
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Hornbach MJ, Saffer DM, Holbrook WS. Critically pressured free-gas reservoirs below gas-hydrate provinces. Nature 2004; 427:142-4. [PMID: 14712273 DOI: 10.1038/nature02172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2003] [Accepted: 11/05/2003] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Palaeoceanographic data have been used to suggest that methane hydrates play a significant role in global climate change. The mechanism by which methane is released during periods of global warming is, however, poorly understood. In particular, the size and role of the free-gas zone below gas-hydrate provinces remain relatively unconstrained, largely because the base of the free-gas zone is not a phase boundary and has thus defied systematic description. Here we evaluate the possibility that the maximum thickness of an interconnected free-gas zone is mechanically regulated by valving caused by fault slip in overlying sediments. Our results suggest that a critical gas column exists below most hydrate provinces in basin settings, implying that these provinces are poised for mechanical failure and are therefore highly sensitive to changes in ambient conditions. We estimate that the global free-gas reservoir may contain from one-sixth to two-thirds of the total methane trapped in hydrate. If gas accumulations are critically thick along passive continental slopes, we calculate that a 5 degrees C temperature increase at the sea floor could result in a release of approximately 2,000 Gt of methane from the free-gas zone, offering a mechanism for rapid methane release during global warming events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Hornbach
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA.
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Clennell MB, Hovland M, Booth JS, Henry P, Winters WJ. Formation of natural gas hydrates in marine sediments: 1. Conceptual model of gas hydrate growth conditioned by host sediment properties. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1999. [DOI: 10.1029/1999jb900175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 469] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Henry P, Thomas M, Clennell MB. Formation of natural gas hydrates in marine sediments: 2. Thermodynamic calculations of stability conditions in porous sediments. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1999. [DOI: 10.1029/1999jb900167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 256] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Fink CR, Spence GD. Hydrate distribution off Vancouver Island from multifrequency single-channel seismic reflection data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1999. [DOI: 10.1029/98jb02641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Yuan T, Spence GD, Hyndman RD, Minshull TA, Singh SC. Seismic velocity studies of a gas hydrate bottom-simulating reflector on the northern Cascadia continental margin: Amplitude modeling and full waveform inversion. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1999. [DOI: 10.1029/1998jb900020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Wang K, Davis EE, van der Kamp G. Theory for the effects of free gas in subsea formations on tidal pore pressure variations and seafloor displacements. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1998. [DOI: 10.1029/98jb00952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Mienert J, Posewang J, Baumann M. Gas hydrates along the northeastern Atlantic margin: possible hydrate-bound margin instabilities and possible release of methane. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1998. [DOI: 10.1144/gsl.sp.1998.137.01.22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Korenaga J, Holbrook WS, Singh SC, Minshull TA. Natural gas hydrates on the southeast U.S. margin: Constraints from full waveform and travel time inversions of wide-angle seismic data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1997. [DOI: 10.1029/97jb00725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Yuan T, Hyndman RD, Spence GD, Desmons B. Seismic velocity increase and deep-sea gas hydrate concentration above a bottom-simulating reflector on the northern Cascadia continental slope. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1996. [DOI: 10.1029/96jb00102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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