Seismic and Gravity Evidence for Methane-Hydrate Systems in the Central Aleutian Basin

Yankovsky Elizabeth A,Terry Darrell A,Knapp Camelia C

doi:10.35840/2631-5033/1801

Abstract

In this study, we analyze newly acquired seismic and gravity data sets (MGL1111) from the central Aleutian Basin of the Bering Sea to substantiate the hypothesis first proposed by Scholl and Cooper (1978) that methane plumes and associated gas hydrates are responsible for the regional seismic anomalies.

Highlights

Marine gas hydrates have been the subject of intensive study since their discovery in the 1960s [1]
In the central Aleutian Basin, the GH-bottom simulating reflector (BSR) is estimated to lie at a sediment depth of 450 meters [12].The pull-ups attributed to solid gas hydrates extend for about 100 meters above the GH-BSR while push-downs are generally observed for hundreds of meters beneath the GH-BSR [6,12]
The VAMP structure at shot gather 1800 is fairly classic- pull-ups are present above the GH-BSR and the pushdowns below extend to the apparent basement peak at 7500 ms

Summary

Introduction

Marine gas hydrates have been the subject of intensive study since their discovery in the 1960s [1]. Aleutian Basin of the Bering Sea. We substantiate Scholl and Cooper’s original hypothesis that the VAMPs are a result of methane gas and gas hydrates. Examining the near-offset seismic section (Figure 2, lower right), several classic VAMP structures analogous to those first identified by Scholl and Cooper [6] are evident, most notably at shot gather numbers 1150 and 1350.

Results

Conclusion