title: Temporal constraints on hydrate-controlled methane seepage off Svalbard.
abstract: Methane hydrate is an icelike substance that is stable at high pressure and low temperature in continental margin sediments. Since the discovery of a large number of gas flares at the landward termination of the gas hydrate stability zone off Svalbard, there has been concern that warming bottom waters have started to dissociate large amounts of gas hydrate and that the resulting methane release may possibly accelerate global warming. Here, we corroborate that hydrates play a role in the observed seepage of gas, but we present evidence that seepage off Svalbard has been ongoing for at least 3000 years and that seasonal fluctuations of 1° to 2°C in the bottom-water temperature cause periodic gas hydrate formation and dissociation, which focus seepage at the observed sites.
authors.affiliation: GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, 24148 Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Berndt
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Feseker
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Treude
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krastel
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Liebetrau
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Niemann
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Bertics
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dumke
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dünnbier
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ferré
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Graves
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hissmann
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hühnerbach
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lieser
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schauer
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Steinle
mesh_terms: D001110:Arctic Regions; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D008697:Methane / Q000737:chemistry*; D009664:Norway; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D012621:Seasons; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D008697:Methane