Open AccessDynamic simulations of potential methane release from East Siberian continental slope sediments
Author(s) -
Stranne C.,
O'Regan M.,
Dickens G. R.,
Crill P.,
Miller C.,
Preto P.,
Jakobsson M.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
geochemistry, geophysics, geosystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.928
H-Index - 136
ISSN - 1525-2027
DOI - 10.1002/2015gc006119
Subject(s) - clathrate hydrate , methane , geology , permafrost , seafloor spreading , continental shelf , sediment , overpressure , arctic , hydrate , glacial period , atmospheric methane , bottom water , geomorphology , oceanography , greenhouse gas , chemistry , physics , organic chemistry , thermodynamics
Abstract Sediments deposited along continental margins of the Arctic Ocean presumably host large amounts of methane (CH 4 ) in gas hydrates. Here we apply numerical simulations to assess the potential of gas hydrate dissociation and methane release from the East Siberian slope over the next 100 years. Simulations are based on a hypothesized bottom water warming of 3°C, and an assumed starting distribution of gas hydrate. The simulation results show that gas hydrate dissociation in these sediments is relatively slow, and that CH 4 fluxes toward the seafloor are limited by low sediment permeability. The latter is true even when sediment fractures are permitted to form in response to overpressure in pore space. With an initial gas hydrate distribution dictated by present‐day pressure and temperature conditions, nominally 0.35 Gt of CH 4 are released from the East Siberian slope during the first 100 years of the simulation. However, this CH 4 discharge becomes significantly smaller (∼0.05 Gt) if glacial sea level changes in the Arctic Ocean are considered. This is because a lower sea level during the last glacial maximum (LGM) must result in depleted gas hydrate abundance within the most sensitive region of the modern gas hydrate stability zone. Even if all released CH 4 reached the atmosphere, the amount coming from East Siberian slopes would be trivial compared to present‐day atmospheric CH 4 inputs from other sources.