Modeling gas, hydrates, and slope stability on the U.S. Atlantic margin during Pleistocene glacial cycles

Carty, Olin R.; Wood, Warren T.; Phrampus, Benjamin J.; Lee, Taylor R.; Frederick, Jennifer M.; Nole, Michael; Fukuyama, David; Daigle, Hugh

doi:10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107492

Modeling gas, hydrates, and slope stability on the U.S. Atlantic margin during Pleistocene glacial cycles

Journal Article · Sat Jan 25 04:00:00 EST 2025 · Marine Geology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107492· OSTI ID:2997122

Carty, Olin R. ^[1]; Wood, Warren T. ^[2]; Phrampus, Benjamin J. ^[2]; Lee, Taylor R. ^[2]; Frederick, Jennifer M. ^[3]; ^[4]; Fukuyama, David ^[3]; Daigle, Hugh ^[1]

Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)
NASA John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC), Hancock County, MS (United States). US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Changes in temperature and sea level can cause dissociation of methane hydrates in shallow marine sediments, leading to seafloor destabilization. Along the U.S. Atlantic margin, there exists a well-documented history of slope failure and numerous recorded occurrences of gas seeps. Several studies have linked slope failure in the region to gas seepage and hydrate dissociation driven by glacial-interglacial transitions, but this linkage has not been quantitatively demonstrated. Along the shelf edge, in an area where shallow methane gas seeps have been identified, we modeled methane gas and hydrate formation using a one-dimensional fluid flow model. Methane gas formation was modeled over the last 120,000 years to simulate a glacial-interglacial cycle. Here, we ran this model at 16,044 individual locations in the region between 29° N – 45° N and 82° W – 66° W at a resolution of 1 x 1 arcminutes, focusing specifically on water depths between 200 and 1000 m that bracket the seafloor outcrop of the base of the hydrate stability zone. Using historic temperature and pressure records from the last 120,000 years, sediment properties in the area, and factor of safety calculations, we found that hydrate dissociation alone is unlikely to cause sediment failure in the region, implying that an additional driving force would be necessary for failure to occur.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-76RL01830; NA0003525

OSTI ID:: 2997122

Report Number(s):: PNNL-SA--195931

Journal Information:: Marine Geology, Journal Name: Marine Geology Vol. 481; ISSN 0025-3227

Publisher:: Elsevier BVCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Related Subjects

Hydrate dissociation
Methane hydrate
Slope failure
gas hydrate
reservoir modeling
slope stability

Modeling gas, hydrates, and slope stability on the U.S. Atlantic margin during Pleistocene glacial cycles

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