Marine gas hydrates in thin sand layers that soak up microbial methane

Abstract

At Site U1325 (IODP Exp. 311, Cascadia margin), gas hydrates occupy 20–60% of pore space in thin sand layers (< 5 cm) surrounded by fine-grained intervals (2.5 m thick on average) that contain little or no hydrate. This is a common occurrence in gas hydrate-bearing marine sequences, and it has been related to the inhibition of hydrate formation in the small pores of fine-grained sediments. This paper applies a mass balance model to gas hydrate formation in a stack of alternating fine- and coarse-grained sediment layers. The only source of methane considered is in situ microbial conversion of a small amount of organic carbon (< 0.5% dry weight fraction). The results show that in a sequence such as that at Site U1325 the methane concentration never reaches the supersaturation needed to form gas hydrates in the fine-grained layers. Methane generated in these layers is transported by diffusion into the coarse-grained layers where it forms concentrated gas hydrate deposits. The vertical distribution and amount of gas hydrate observed at Site U1325 can be explained by in situ microbial methane generation, and a deep methane source is not necessary.