Glacial cycles influence marine methane hydrate formation

Malinverno, A.; Cook, A. E.; Daigle, H.; Oryan, B.

doi:10.1002/2017GL075848

Glacial cycles influence marine methane hydrate formation

Journal Article · Fri Jan 12 00:00:00 EST 2018 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL075848· OSTI ID:1417464

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Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States); The University of Texas at Austin
The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States)
Univ. of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX (United States)
Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)

Methane hydrates in fine-grained continental slope sediments often occupy isolated depth intervals surrounded by hydrate-free sediments. As they are not connected to deep gas sources, these hydrate deposits have been interpreted as sourced by in situ microbial methane. We investigate here the hypothesis that these isolated hydrate accumulations form preferentially in sediments deposited during Pleistocene glacial lowstands that contain relatively large amounts of labile particulate organic carbon, leading to enhanced microbial methanogenesis. To test this hypothesis, we apply an advection-diffusion-reaction model with a time-dependent organic carbon deposition controlled by glacioeustatic sea level variations. In the model, hydrate forms in sediments with greater organic carbon content deposited during the penultimate glacial cycle (~120-240 ka). As a result, the model predictions match hydrate-bearing intervals detected in three sites drilled on the northern Gulf of Mexico continental slope, supporting the hypothesis of hydrate formation driven by enhanced organic carbon burial during glacial lowstands.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Univ. of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)

Grant/Contract Number:: FE0013919; FE0023919

OSTI ID:: 1417464

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1418410

Journal Information:: Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 45; ISSN 0094-8276

Publisher:: American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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