A Geophysical Review of the Seabed Methane Seepage Features and Their Relationship with Gas Hydrate Systems
Seabed methane seepage has gained attention from all over the world in recent years as an important source of greenhouse gas emission, and gas hydrates are also regarded as a key factor affecting climate change or even global warming due to their shallow burial and poor stability. However, the relat...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Geofluids |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/9953026 |
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| author | Jinxiu Yang Mingyue Lu Zhiguang Yao Min Wang Shuangfang Lu Ning Qi Ying Xia |
| author_facet | Jinxiu Yang Mingyue Lu Zhiguang Yao Min Wang Shuangfang Lu Ning Qi Ying Xia |
| author_sort | Jinxiu Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Seabed methane seepage has gained attention from all over the world in recent years as an important source of greenhouse gas emission, and gas hydrates are also regarded as a key factor affecting climate change or even global warming due to their shallow burial and poor stability. However, the relationship between seabed methane seepage and gas hydrate systems is not clear although they often coexist in continental margins. It is of significance to clarify their relationship and better understand the contribution of gas hydrate systems or the deeper hydrocarbon reservoirs for methane flux leaking to the seawater or even the atmosphere by natural seepages at the seabed. In this paper, a geophysical examination of the global seabed methane seepage events has been conducted, and nearby gas hydrate stability zone and relevant fluid migration pathways have been interpreted or modelled using seismic data, multibeam data, or underwater photos. Results show that seabed methane seepage sites are often manifested as methane flares, pockmarks, deep-water corals, authigenic carbonates, and gas hydrate pingoes at the seabed, most of which are closely related to vertical fluid migration structures like faults, gas chimneys, mud volcanoes, and unconformity surfaces or are located in the landward limit of gas hydrate stability zone (LLGHSZ) where hydrate dissociation may have released a great volume of methane. Based on a comprehensive analysis of these features, three major types of seabed methane seepage are classified according to their spatial relationship with the location of LLGHSZ, deeper than the LLGHSZ (A), around the LLGHSZ (B), and shallower than LLGHSZ (C). These three seabed methane seepage types can be further divided into five subtypes considering whether the gas source of seabed methane seepage is from the gas hydrate systems or not. We propose subtype B2 represents the most important seabed methane seepage type due to the high density of seepage sites and large volume of released methane from massive focused vigorous methane seepage sites around the LLGHSZ. Based on the classification result of this research, more measures should be taken for subtype B2 seabed methane seepage to predict or even prevent ocean warming or climate change. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d439adc4a07f4a98a98c6e5135d0c284 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1468-8115 1468-8123 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geofluids |
| spelling | doaj-art-d439adc4a07f4a98a98c6e5135d0c2842025-02-03T06:11:58ZengWileyGeofluids1468-81151468-81232021-01-01202110.1155/2021/99530269953026A Geophysical Review of the Seabed Methane Seepage Features and Their Relationship with Gas Hydrate SystemsJinxiu Yang0Mingyue Lu1Zhiguang Yao2Min Wang3Shuangfang Lu4Ning Qi5Ying Xia6Key Laboratory of Deep Oil and Gas, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, ChinaSchool of Geosciences, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, ChinaEngineering Technology Research Company Limited, China National Petroleum Corporation, Tianjin 300451, ChinaKey Laboratory of Deep Oil and Gas, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, ChinaKey Laboratory of Deep Oil and Gas, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, ChinaSchool of Geosciences, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, ChinaSchool of Geosciences, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, ChinaSeabed methane seepage has gained attention from all over the world in recent years as an important source of greenhouse gas emission, and gas hydrates are also regarded as a key factor affecting climate change or even global warming due to their shallow burial and poor stability. However, the relationship between seabed methane seepage and gas hydrate systems is not clear although they often coexist in continental margins. It is of significance to clarify their relationship and better understand the contribution of gas hydrate systems or the deeper hydrocarbon reservoirs for methane flux leaking to the seawater or even the atmosphere by natural seepages at the seabed. In this paper, a geophysical examination of the global seabed methane seepage events has been conducted, and nearby gas hydrate stability zone and relevant fluid migration pathways have been interpreted or modelled using seismic data, multibeam data, or underwater photos. Results show that seabed methane seepage sites are often manifested as methane flares, pockmarks, deep-water corals, authigenic carbonates, and gas hydrate pingoes at the seabed, most of which are closely related to vertical fluid migration structures like faults, gas chimneys, mud volcanoes, and unconformity surfaces or are located in the landward limit of gas hydrate stability zone (LLGHSZ) where hydrate dissociation may have released a great volume of methane. Based on a comprehensive analysis of these features, three major types of seabed methane seepage are classified according to their spatial relationship with the location of LLGHSZ, deeper than the LLGHSZ (A), around the LLGHSZ (B), and shallower than LLGHSZ (C). These three seabed methane seepage types can be further divided into five subtypes considering whether the gas source of seabed methane seepage is from the gas hydrate systems or not. We propose subtype B2 represents the most important seabed methane seepage type due to the high density of seepage sites and large volume of released methane from massive focused vigorous methane seepage sites around the LLGHSZ. Based on the classification result of this research, more measures should be taken for subtype B2 seabed methane seepage to predict or even prevent ocean warming or climate change.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/9953026 |
| spellingShingle | Jinxiu Yang Mingyue Lu Zhiguang Yao Min Wang Shuangfang Lu Ning Qi Ying Xia A Geophysical Review of the Seabed Methane Seepage Features and Their Relationship with Gas Hydrate Systems Geofluids |
| title | A Geophysical Review of the Seabed Methane Seepage Features and Their Relationship with Gas Hydrate Systems |
| title_full | A Geophysical Review of the Seabed Methane Seepage Features and Their Relationship with Gas Hydrate Systems |
| title_fullStr | A Geophysical Review of the Seabed Methane Seepage Features and Their Relationship with Gas Hydrate Systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Geophysical Review of the Seabed Methane Seepage Features and Their Relationship with Gas Hydrate Systems |
| title_short | A Geophysical Review of the Seabed Methane Seepage Features and Their Relationship with Gas Hydrate Systems |
| title_sort | geophysical review of the seabed methane seepage features and their relationship with gas hydrate systems |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/9953026 |
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