New insights into the transport processes controlling the sulfate-methane-transition-zone near methane vents.

ABSTRACT: Over the past years, several studies have raised concerns about the possible interactions between methane hydrate decomposition and external change. To carry out such an investigation, it is essential to characterize the baseline dynamics of gas hydrate systems related to natural geological and sedimentary processes. This is usually treated through the analysis of sulfate-reduction coupled to anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). Here, we model sulfate reduction coupled with AOM as a two-dimensional (2D) problem including, advective and diffusive transport. This is applied to a case study from a deep-water site off Nigeria's coast where lateral methane advection through turbidite layers was suspected. We show by analyzing the acquired data in combination with computational modeling that a

SUBMITTER: Sultan N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4882613 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature