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AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Keywords

  • gas hydrates
  • sulfate-methane transition
  • numerical modeling

Index Terms

  • Marine Geology and Geophysics: Gas and hydrate systems
  • Geochemistry: Marine geochemistry
  • Marine Geology and Geophysics: Marine sediments: processes and transport
  • Oceanography: General: Numerical modeling

Abstract

Sulfate-methane transition as a proxy for average methane hydrate saturation in marine sediments

Gaurav Bhatnagar

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA

Walter G. Chapman

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA

Gerald R. Dickens

Department of Earth Science, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA

Brandon Dugan

Department of Earth Science, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA

George J. Hirasaki

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA

We develop a relationship between the sulfate-methane transition (SMT) and average gas hydrate saturation (AGHS) for systems dominated by methane migration from deeper sources. The relationship is explained by a one-dimensional numerical model that simulates gas hydrate accumulation in marine sediments. Higher methane fluxes result in shallow SMT depths and high AGHS, while lower methane fluxes result in deep SMTs and low AGHS. We also generalize the variation between AGHS and scaled SMT depth, a procedure that aids prediction of AGHS at different sites from observations of the SMT, such as along Cascadia Margin.

Received 1 November 2007; accepted 4 January 2008; published 8 February 2008.

Citation: Bhatnagar, G., W. G. Chapman, G. R. Dickens, B. Dugan, and G. J. Hirasaki (2008), Sulfate-methane transition as a proxy for average methane hydrate saturation in marine sediments, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L03611, doi:10.1029/2007GL032500.

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