RAPID: The effect of methane laden oil on climate and dissolved oxygen: using the Deepwater Horizon oil spill as an analog for clathrate decomposition and seeping methane

从墨西哥湾被摧毁的深水地平线钻井平台排放的大量化石甲烷（CH 4）（每天2-100 × 106摩尔CH 4）提供了一个独特的机会来确定甲烷对溶解氧浓度的影响，并评估其对大气的负担。 在不考虑沸腾效应的情况下，初步计算表明，在估计的甲烷通量下，在4 - 190天内，墨西哥湾低氧区的溶解氧可以减少10%。在NSF快速反应研究（RAPID）奖的资助下，德克萨斯A M大学的研究人员&与耶鲁大学的科学家合作，将分析水柱样本的甲烷浓度和稳定同位素，以及测量甲烷，乙烷，丙烷，二氧化碳和del 13 C-CO2的海气通量。 此外，还将评估溶解氧测量、甲烷氧化速率以及微生物群落结构对甲烷、石油和氧气浓度的影响。 结果将用于测试以下假设：（1）从自然分解的海洋笼形水合物中快速释放的大量和可量化的甲烷将溶解在水柱中并排放到大气中，以及（2）水柱中甲烷的氧化和沸腾将显著有助于墨西哥湾北方的低氧区。 尽管地球化学数据显示，在过去的显着包合物分解，很少，如果有的话，信息是在这些事件中释放的甲烷进入大气层或保留在海洋中。 这种深水人为石油和甲烷泄漏到墨西哥湾的情况可用作天然快速分解笼形水合物的模拟，并提供有关这些过去事件中释放的甲烷命运的急需信息。 该提案的更广泛影响包括两名毕业生和一名本科生的参与，以及对深水地平线钻井平台向墨西哥湾释放的大量化石甲烷的影响的深入了解。

The large fossil methane (CH4) discharged from the destroyed Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico (between 2-100 × 106 moles of CH4 per day) provides a unique opportunity to determine the impact of methane on dissolved oxygen concentrations and assess its burden on the atmosphere. Without considering ebullition effects, preliminary calculations indicate that a 10% reduction of dissolved oxygen can be achieved in the low oxygen zones of the Gulf of Mexico in 4 - 190 days at the estimated methane fluxes.With funding from this NSF Rapid Response Research (RAPID) award, researchers from Texas A&M University in collaboration with a scientist from Yale University, will analyze water column samples for methane concentrations and stable isotopes, as well as measure the air-sea flux of methane, ethane, propane, carbon dioxide and del13C-CO2. In addition, dissolved oxygen measurements, methane oxidation rates, and the effect of microbial community structure on methane, oil, and oxygen concentrations will be assessed. Results will be used to test the following hypotheses: (1) Significant and quantifiable amounts of methane released rapidly from naturally decomposing oceanic clathrate hydrates will be both dissolved in the water column and emitted to the atmosphere, and (2) The oxidation and ebullition of methane in the water column will significantly contribute to the low oxygen zones in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Even though geochemical data has shown significant clathrate decomposition in the past, little, if any, information is available of whether methane released during these events entered the atmosphere or was retained in the ocean. This deepwater anthropogenic spill of oil and methane into the Gulf of Mexico can be used as an analog for a natural rapidly decomposing clathrate hydrate and provide much needed information on the fate of methane released during these past events. The broader impacts of this proposal include the involvement of two graduates and one undergraduate student, as well as yield insights into the impact of the massive fossil methane released to the Gulf of Mexico by the Deepwater Horizon rig.