Crustal fingering facilitates free-gas methane migration through the hydrate stability zone
Widespread seafloor methane venting has been reported in many regions of the world oceans in the past decade. Identifying and quantifying where and how much methane is being released into the ocean remains a major challenge and a critical gap in assessing the global carbon budget and predicting futu...
Published in: | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
National Academy of Sciences
2020
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/ https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/11/31660.full.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/4/pnas.2011064117.sapp.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/7/pnas.2011064117.sm01.m4v https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/8/pnas.2011064117.sm02.m4v https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/9/pnas.2011064117.sm03.m4v https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/10/pnas.2011064117.sm04.m4v https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20201130-131557272 |
id |
ftcaltechauth:oai:authors.library.caltech.edu:106845 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftcaltechauth:oai:authors.library.caltech.edu:106845 2023-05-15T17:12:04+02:00 Crustal fingering facilitates free-gas methane migration through the hydrate stability zone Fu, Xiaojing Jimenez-Martinez, Joaquin Nguyen, Thanh Phong Carey, J. William Viswanathan, Harl Cueto-Felgueroso, Luis Juanes, Ruben 2020-12-15 application/pdf video/mpeg https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/ https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/11/31660.full.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/4/pnas.2011064117.sapp.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/7/pnas.2011064117.sm01.m4v https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/8/pnas.2011064117.sm02.m4v https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/9/pnas.2011064117.sm03.m4v https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/10/pnas.2011064117.sm04.m4v https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20201130-131557272 en eng National Academy of Sciences https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/11/31660.full.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/4/pnas.2011064117.sapp.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/7/pnas.2011064117.sm01.m4v https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/8/pnas.2011064117.sm02.m4v https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/9/pnas.2011064117.sm03.m4v https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/10/pnas.2011064117.sm04.m4v Fu, Xiaojing and Jimenez-Martinez, Joaquin and Nguyen, Thanh Phong and Carey, J. William and Viswanathan, Harl and Cueto-Felgueroso, Luis and Juanes, Ruben (2020) Crustal fingering facilitates free-gas methane migration through the hydrate stability zone. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 117 (50). pp. 31660-31664. ISSN 0027-8424. PMCID PMC7749334. doi:10.1073/pnas.2011064117. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20201130-131557272 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20201130-131557272> other Article PeerReviewed 2020 ftcaltechauth https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2011064117 2022-02-10T18:44:42Z Widespread seafloor methane venting has been reported in many regions of the world oceans in the past decade. Identifying and quantifying where and how much methane is being released into the ocean remains a major challenge and a critical gap in assessing the global carbon budget and predicting future climate [C. Ruppel, J. D. Kessler. Rev. Geophys. 55, 126–168 (2017)]. Methane hydrate (CH₄⋅5.75H₂O) is an ice-like solid that forms from methane–water mixture under elevated-pressure and low-temperature conditions typical of the deep marine settings (>600-m depth), often referred to as the hydrate stability zone (HSZ). Wide-ranging field evidence indicates that methane seepage often coexists with hydrate-bearing sediments within the HSZ, suggesting that hydrate formation may play an important role during the gas-migration process. At a depth that is too shallow for hydrate formation, existing theories suggest that gas migration occurs via capillary invasion and/or initiation and propagation of fractures (Fig. 1). Within the HSZ, however, a theoretical mechanism that addresses the way in which hydrate formation participates in the gas-percolation process is missing. Here, we study, experimentally and computationally, the mechanics of gas percolation under hydrate-forming conditions. We uncover a phenomenon—crustal fingering—and demonstrate how it may control methane-gas migration in ocean sediments within the HSZ. Article in Journal/Newspaper Methane hydrate Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117 50 31660 31664 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) |
op_collection_id |
ftcaltechauth |
language |
English |
description |
Widespread seafloor methane venting has been reported in many regions of the world oceans in the past decade. Identifying and quantifying where and how much methane is being released into the ocean remains a major challenge and a critical gap in assessing the global carbon budget and predicting future climate [C. Ruppel, J. D. Kessler. Rev. Geophys. 55, 126–168 (2017)]. Methane hydrate (CH₄⋅5.75H₂O) is an ice-like solid that forms from methane–water mixture under elevated-pressure and low-temperature conditions typical of the deep marine settings (>600-m depth), often referred to as the hydrate stability zone (HSZ). Wide-ranging field evidence indicates that methane seepage often coexists with hydrate-bearing sediments within the HSZ, suggesting that hydrate formation may play an important role during the gas-migration process. At a depth that is too shallow for hydrate formation, existing theories suggest that gas migration occurs via capillary invasion and/or initiation and propagation of fractures (Fig. 1). Within the HSZ, however, a theoretical mechanism that addresses the way in which hydrate formation participates in the gas-percolation process is missing. Here, we study, experimentally and computationally, the mechanics of gas percolation under hydrate-forming conditions. We uncover a phenomenon—crustal fingering—and demonstrate how it may control methane-gas migration in ocean sediments within the HSZ. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Fu, Xiaojing Jimenez-Martinez, Joaquin Nguyen, Thanh Phong Carey, J. William Viswanathan, Harl Cueto-Felgueroso, Luis Juanes, Ruben |
spellingShingle |
Fu, Xiaojing Jimenez-Martinez, Joaquin Nguyen, Thanh Phong Carey, J. William Viswanathan, Harl Cueto-Felgueroso, Luis Juanes, Ruben Crustal fingering facilitates free-gas methane migration through the hydrate stability zone |
author_facet |
Fu, Xiaojing Jimenez-Martinez, Joaquin Nguyen, Thanh Phong Carey, J. William Viswanathan, Harl Cueto-Felgueroso, Luis Juanes, Ruben |
author_sort |
Fu, Xiaojing |
title |
Crustal fingering facilitates free-gas methane migration through the hydrate stability zone |
title_short |
Crustal fingering facilitates free-gas methane migration through the hydrate stability zone |
title_full |
Crustal fingering facilitates free-gas methane migration through the hydrate stability zone |
title_fullStr |
Crustal fingering facilitates free-gas methane migration through the hydrate stability zone |
title_full_unstemmed |
Crustal fingering facilitates free-gas methane migration through the hydrate stability zone |
title_sort |
crustal fingering facilitates free-gas methane migration through the hydrate stability zone |
publisher |
National Academy of Sciences |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/ https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/11/31660.full.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/4/pnas.2011064117.sapp.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/7/pnas.2011064117.sm01.m4v https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/8/pnas.2011064117.sm02.m4v https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/9/pnas.2011064117.sm03.m4v https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/10/pnas.2011064117.sm04.m4v https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20201130-131557272 |
genre |
Methane hydrate |
genre_facet |
Methane hydrate |
op_relation |
https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/11/31660.full.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/4/pnas.2011064117.sapp.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/7/pnas.2011064117.sm01.m4v https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/8/pnas.2011064117.sm02.m4v https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/9/pnas.2011064117.sm03.m4v https://authors.library.caltech.edu/106845/10/pnas.2011064117.sm04.m4v Fu, Xiaojing and Jimenez-Martinez, Joaquin and Nguyen, Thanh Phong and Carey, J. William and Viswanathan, Harl and Cueto-Felgueroso, Luis and Juanes, Ruben (2020) Crustal fingering facilitates free-gas methane migration through the hydrate stability zone. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 117 (50). pp. 31660-31664. ISSN 0027-8424. PMCID PMC7749334. doi:10.1073/pnas.2011064117. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20201130-131557272 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20201130-131557272> |
op_rights |
other |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2011064117 |
container_title |
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |
container_volume |
117 |
container_issue |
50 |
container_start_page |
31660 |
op_container_end_page |
31664 |
_version_ |
1766068828937125888 |