Variations in Gas and Water Pulses at an Arctic Seep: Fluid Sources and Methane Transport

Hong, W. -L.; Torres, M. E.; Portnov, A.; Waage, M.; Haley, B.; Lepland, A.

doi:10.1029/2018gl077309

Title: Variations in Gas and Water Pulses at an Arctic Seep: Fluid Sources and Methane Transport

Journal Article · Thu Apr 19 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gl077309· OSTI ID:1539738

^[1];

^[2]; Portnov, A. ^[3]; Waage, M. ^[4];

^[2]; Lepland, A. ^[5]

Geological Survey of Norway, Trondheim (Norway); Arctic Univ. of Norway (UiT), Tromsø (Norway)
Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States)
Arctic Univ. of Norway (UiT), Tromsø (Norway); The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States)
Arctic Univ. of Norway (UiT), Tromsø (Norway)
Geological Survey of Norway, Trondheim (Norway)

Abstract Methane fluxes into the oceans are largely dependent on the methane phase as it migrates upward through the sediments. Here we document decoupled methane transport by gaseous and aqueous phases in Storfjordrenna (offshore Svalbard) and propose a three‐stage evolution model for active seepage in the region where gas hydrates are present in the shallow subsurface. In a preactive seepage stage, solute diffusion is the primary transport mechanism for methane in the dissolved phase. Fluids containing dissolved methane have high ⁸⁷ Sr/ ⁸⁶ Sr ratios due to silicate weathering in the microbial methanogenesis zone. During the active seepage stage, migration of gaseous methane results in near‐seafloor gas hydrate formation and vigorous seafloor gas discharge with a thermogenic fingerprint. In the postactive seepage stage, the high concentration of dissolved lithium points to the contribution of a deeper‐sourced aqueous fluid, which we postulate advects upward following cessation of gas discharge.

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Research Organization:: Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States)

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

Grant/Contract Number:: FE0013531; DE‐FE0013531

OSTI ID:: 1539738

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1436189

Journal Information:: Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 45, Issue 9; ISSN 0094-8276

Publisher:: American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 27 works

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