Simulation of the Conditions for the Formation and Dissociation of Methane Hydrate over the Last 130 000 Years

Abstract

The thermobaric conditions of the formation, stability, and dissociation of continental gas hydrates were determined by simulation of the thermal state of the permafrost. The calculations covered the period over the last 130 000 years, taking into account the various paleo-settings, including continental glaciation, marine transgression, and high geothermal fluxes. According to the numerical calculations, relict gas hydrates may currently exist in the metastable state in the permafrost at depths of less than 100–150 m.