Gas hydrates in the sedimentary cover of passive oceanic margins: Possibilities of prediction based on satellite altimetry data in the Atlantic and Arctic

Abstract

Analysis of factual data on acoustic indicators of fluid occurrences, negative gravity anomalies based on satellite altimetry, tectonic deformations, and findings of ultramafic rocks and serpentinites was carried out. Such data make up stable sublatitudinal groups across the Atlantic Ocean. The image obtained suggests the following cause-and-effect series of processes: (1) tectonic deformations; (2) serpentinization of ultramafic rocks and generation of methane; and (3) accumulation of gas hydrates in the sedimentary cover near the continental margin. The second process is accompanied by the formation of negative gravity anomalies; the third process, by the specific reflection of fluids in the acoustic wave field. These facts provide a basis for forecasting the presence of gas hydrates based on reductions of the satellite altimetry data and regional maps of the sedimentary cover in the Atlantic and Arctic.