Temporal Constraints on Hydrate-Controlled Methane Seepage off Svalbard.

Berndt, Christian , Feseker, Tomas, Treude, Tina , Krastel, Sebastian, Liebetrau, Volker, Niemann, H., Bertics, Victoria J., Dumke, Ines, Dünnbier, Karolin, Ferre, B., Graves, C., Gross, Felix, Hissmann, Karen, Hühnerbach, Veit, Krause, Stefan, Lieser, Kathrin, Schauer, Jürgen and Steinle, L. (2014) Temporal Constraints on Hydrate-Controlled Methane Seepage off Svalbard. Science, 343 (6168). pp. 284-287. DOI 10.1126/science.1246298.

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Abstract

Methane hydrate is an icelike substance that is stable at high pressure and low temperature in continental margin sediments. Since the discovery of a large number of gas flares at the landward termination of the gas hydrate stability zone off Svalbard, there has been concern that warming bottom waters have started to dissociate large amounts of gas hydrate and that the resulting methane release may possibly accelerate global warming. Here, we can corroborate that hydrates play a role in the observed seepage of gas, but we present evidence that seepage off Svalbard has been ongoing for at least three thousand years and that seasonal fluctuations of 1-2°C in the bottom-water temperature cause periodic gas hydrate formation and dissociation, which focus seepage at the observed sites.

Document Type: Article
Additional Information: WOS:000329718600032
Keywords: Methane pathways; Gas bubbles; Under water mass spectrometry; Oxidation rates; Isotopic ratio; Gas hydrate
Research affiliation: OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB2 Marine Biogeochemistry > FB2-MG Marine Geosystems
OceanRep > The Future Ocean - Cluster of Excellence > FO-R09
Kiel University > Kiel Marine Science
OceanRep > The Future Ocean - Cluster of Excellence
OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB1 Ocean Circulation and Climate Dynamics > FB1-P-OZ Paleo-Oceanography
OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB4 Dynamics of the Ocean Floor > FB4-GDY Marine Geodynamics
Kiel University
Refereed: Yes
Open Access Journal?: No
Publisher: AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science)
Related URLs:
Projects: ESONET, PERGAMON, Future Ocean
Expeditions/Models/Experiments:
Date Deposited: 06 Jan 2014 12:44
Last Modified: 17 Oct 2019 07:17
URI: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/22850

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