Shallow gas hydrates off southwest Taiwan and their mechanisms

Type Article
Date 2021-03
Language English
Author(s) Huang Yin-Sheng1, Hsu Shu-KunORCID1, 2, Su Chih-Chieh3, Lin Andrew Tien-Shun1, Yu Pai-Sen4, Babonneau Nathalie5, Ratzov Gueorgui6, Lallemand Serge7, Huang Pi-Chuen1, Lin Shiao-Shan2, Lin Jing-Yi1, 2, Wei Kuo-Yen8, Chang Yuan-Pin9, Yu Neng-Ti10, Tsai Ching-Hui2
Affiliation(s) 1 : Department of Earth Sciences, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
2 : Center for Environmental Studies, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
3 : Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
4 : Taiwan Ocean Research Institute, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
5 : Géosciences Océan, IUEM, Université de Brest, Brest, France
6 : Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France
7 : Université de Montpellier, Géosciences Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
8 : Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
9 : Department of Oceanography, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
10 : Center for General Education, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Source Marine Geophysical Research (0025-3235) (Springer Science and Business Media LLC), 2021-03 , Vol. 42 , N. 1 , P. 7 (12p.)
DOI 10.1007/s11001-021-09429-x
WOS© Times Cited 4
Note Special Issue: Recent Advances in Characterizing Marine Gas Hydrate Systems
Keyword(s) MD core, Shallow gas hydrate, Hydrate dissociation, Off SW Taiwan
Abstract

We have collected two shallow gas hydrate samples at two sites having different geological settings off southwest Taiwan during the cruise MD214 in 2018. The first core site, MD18-3542, is on the South Yuan-An East Ridge at ~ 1200 m water deep, where a structural unconformity covered by fine-silt sediments appears at ~ 5.5 m below the seafloor. The second core site, MD18-3543, is close to the Good-Weather Ridge at ~ 1100 m water deep, where a gas-related pockmark structure and authigenic carbonates are present at shallow strata with fine-silt sediments near the seafloor. Sediment properties of core MD18-3542 are distinctively different above and below the layer corresponding to the unconformity. Both cores show obvious gaps or voids in the lower core halves. The core features could be linked to the dissociated methane upward migrating from deep strata. Core site settings with upwelling methane would favor the formation of shallow gas hydrates. At site MD18-3542, the shallow hydrate could be formed due to high concentration methane kept beneath the unconformity covered by fine-silt sediments. At site MD18-3543, the shallow hydrate could be formed due to an extremely high flux of upwelling methane trapped either beneath the authigenic carbonates or fine-silt sediments.

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Huang Yin-Sheng, Hsu Shu-Kun, Su Chih-Chieh, Lin Andrew Tien-Shun, Yu Pai-Sen, Babonneau Nathalie, Ratzov Gueorgui, Lallemand Serge, Huang Pi-Chuen, Lin Shiao-Shan, Lin Jing-Yi, Wei Kuo-Yen, Chang Yuan-Pin, Yu Neng-Ti, Tsai Ching-Hui (2021). Shallow gas hydrates off southwest Taiwan and their mechanisms. Marine Geophysical Research, 42(1), 7 (12p.). Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1007/s11001-021-09429-x , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00680/79253/