Methane Flux into the Atmosphere in the South China Sea

Abstract

The regional gas geochemical profile was first performed in the South China Sea in the north–south direction in January 2017 (42nd cruise of the R/V Akademik Boris Petrov). Five zones with methane emission into the atmosphere with a maximum of 30 mole km–2 day–1, were revealed above the oil- and gas-bearing structures in the southern part of the sea, in the Nam Con Son Basin. Methane emission into the atmosphere is generally related to ascending migration of methane from hydrocarbon deposits along fault zones. The expedition was set up by the Council for the Earth’s Hydrosphere of the Federal Agency for Scientific Organization as part of the international project “The 2nd International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE-2).”