Release of Methane from Hydrates during the Late Quaternary - A Compound-Specific, Isotopic Hypothesis Test

该项目将验证Kennett等人（2000）的假设，即圣巴巴拉盆地岩心中突出的晚第四纪负碳同位素变化是由甲烷水合物解离引起的。PI将研究底栖和浮游有孔虫高振幅负同位素异常区间的两组样品的分子同位素记录。有机碳的生物标志物记录，特别是来自沉积微生物和藻类的特定来源的产物，可以为验证这一假设和其他假设提供独立的证据。

The PI will test the Kennett et al. (2000) hypothesis that the prominent negative late Quaternary carbon-isotopic shifts in the Santa Barbara Basin cores resulted from methane hydrate dissociation. The PI will study the molecular-isotopic record of two sets of samples from the interval with the high-amplitude negative isotopic anomalies in both the benthic and planktic foraminifera. The biomarker record of organic carbon, especially from source-specific products of sedimentary microbes and algae could contribute independent evidence to test this and alternative hypotheses.