Collaborative Research: Seismic Characterization of a Gas Hydrate System in the Gulf of Mexico-A Novel Approach to Evaluate High-Resolution Wide-Angle Data

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In a joint project USGS, University of Mississippi and the DOE gathered single-channel seismic and ocean bottom seismometer data from the Gulf of Mexico gas hydrate environment. Initial results show free gas beneath a hydrate-bearing mud diapir but lacks a bottom-simulating reflector (BSR). The PIs propose to further develop an existing seismic tomography code to handle reflecting interfaces and converted shear waves in a self-consistent way. The code will be initially applied to an interesting gas hydrate problem from the Mississippi Canyon area in the Gulf of Mexico. The new technique will be used to learn: 1) how far does the shallow hydrates extend beneath the seafloor?, 2) does free gas exist beneath shallow hydrates and if so, what traps it?, 3) why is there no BSR present. The existing 3D data will be optimized and a method will be developed for 3D PS-NMO based on tomographic inversion.