signature=07c26af454858ec1102635eaa25fb2ec,Occurrence of methane hydrate mounds inferred from geophy...

摘要：

Gas hydrate in the Chukchi Basin (CB) has not been found despite of favorable conditions for its occurrence. We document, for the first time, the discovery of mound morphologies containing gas hydrate as well as methane-derived authigenic carbonate in the eastern slope of the CB obtained during the IBRV Araon Expedition ARA07C in 2016. Detailed bathymetric map was made by high-resolution multibeam survey over ~150 km2 around the mounds. Subbottom profiling survey was simultaneously operated during the multibeam survey. In addition, gravity coring with a 6 m-long barrel was done at two locations of the mounds. The mounds are restricted to 580-780 m water depths, below extensive ice scours at <560 m water depth, and characterized by a circular shape with scale of tens of meters in width and a few meters in height. Acoustic turbidity in the sediments is clearly seen downward from the seafloor at the mounds, indicating shallow accumulation of gas. The isotopic signatures from both retrieved cores and dissociated gas hydrates suggest that thermogenic methane may migrate to the shallow depth. Deep faults, as the possible pathway of gas migration, were found in the vicinity of the study area from the other seismic survey (e.g., Hegewald and Jokat, 2013). We argue that the seepage activity of methane-rich fluid involves the formation of the mounds, and that there is the possibility of a broad occurrence of the gas hydrate mound along fault zone in the CB. Hegewald A, Jokat W (2013) Relative sea level variations in the Chukchi region - Arctic Ocean - since the late Eocene. Geophysical Research Letters 40:803-807. doi:10.1002/grl.50182

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