Detection of Methan Leakage to the Arctic Shelf from Decomposing Gas Hydrate

该项目的目标是记录天然气水合物分解后泄漏到麦肯齐河三角洲和图克托伊图克半岛附近的北冰洋大陆架的甲烷。由于海平面上升导致海水变暖，北冰洋大陆架上发生了热变化，正在发生分解。同时，来自下方的热流也可能有助于解离水合物带的底部。沉积物中大量渗出的甲烷可能会被厌氧细菌氧化，因此不会到达海底，或者被困住，直到超压通过水力裂缝和/或沉积物堵塞迅速释放甲烷。提供资金用于开展一次为期18天的巡航，以收集振荡器、侧面扫描图像和水柱样本，以及随后的碳氢化合物和稳定同位素分析以及碳14测年。

The objective of the project is to document methane leakage to the Arctic Shelf near the MacKenzie River Delta and Tuktoyktuk Peninsula from gas hydrates decomposition. Decomposition is occurring due to thermal change on the Arctic Shelf by with warmer water resulting from sea level rise. Simultaneously, heat flow from below may also be helping to dissociate the base of the hydrate zone. Much of this seeping methane in the sediments may be oxidized by anaerobic bacteria and thus not reach the seafloor, or be trapped until overpressure rapidly releases the methane via hydro-fractures and/or sediment plugs. Funds are provided to carry out an 18-day cruise to collect vibracores, side-scan images and water-column samples and the subsequent hydrocarbon and stable-isotopic analyses and C-14 dating fro chronology.