Distribution of the primary production and chlorophyll <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> in the Kara Sea in September of 2007

The studies were performed from September 10 to 29 of 2007 in the Kara Sea in transects westward of the Yamal Peninsula, near the St. Anna Trough, in the Ob River’s estuary, and on the adjacent shelf. The concentration of chlorophyll a in the euphotic layer changed from 0.02 to 4.37 mg/m³, amounting on the average to 0.76 mg/m³. The primary production in the water column varied from 10.9 to 148.0 mg C/m² per day (the mean was 56.9 mg C/m² per day). It was shown that frontal zones divided the Kara Sea into distinct areas with different productivities. The maximum levels of the primary production were measured in the deep part of the Yamal transect (132.4 mg C/m² per day) and the shallow Kara Sea shelf near the Ob River’s estuary (74.9 mg C/m² per day). The characteristics of these regions were the low salinity of the surface water layer (19–25 psu) and the elevated silicon content (12.8–28.1 μg-atom Si/l), which is explainable by the river water inflow. The frontal zones of the Yamal Current in the Yamal and Ob transects displayed high values of the assimilation numbers, amounting to 2.32 and 1.49 mg C/mg of chlorophyll per h, respectively (the maximal for the studied regions).     

The organic carbon in the water,the particulate matter,and the upper layer of the bottom sediments of the west Kara Sea

In three sections in the Kara Sea, the contents of the dissolved and particulate organic carbon (the DOC and POC, respectively), as well as of the organic carbon of the bottom sediments (C_org) were determined. The contents of varied from 6.3 to 2400 μg/l for the DOC and from 0.84 to 12.2 mg of C/l for the POC. The average concentrations for all the samples tested amounted to 200 μg/l for the DOC (n = 78, σ = 368) and 2.7 mg/l for the POC (n = 92, σ = 2.7). The concentrations of Corg in the samples of the upper layer of the bottom sediments of the area treated varied from 0.13 to 2.10% of the dry substance at an average value of 0.9% (n = 21, σ= 0.49%). It is shown that the distribution of the different forms of organic matter (OM) is an indicator of the supply and spreading of the particulate matter in the Kara Sea and that the DOC and POC of the Kara Sea are formed under the impact of the runoff of the Ob and Yenisei river waters. It is found that the distribution of the OM of the bottom sediments in the surveyed area of the Kara Sea is closely related to their grain-size composition and to the structure of the currents in the area studied. The variations in the Corg content in the bottom sediment cores from the zone of riverine and marine water mixing represent the variability of the OM burial.     

Structure of the phytoplankton communities and primary production in the Ob River estuary and over the adjacent Kara Sea shelf

The material was collected in the Ob River estuary and over the adjacent shallow Kara Sea shelf between 71°14′0 and 75°33′0N at the end of September 2007. Latitudinal zoning in the phytoplankton distribution was demonstrated; this zoning was determined by the changes in the salinity and concentration of nutrients. Characteristic of the phytocenosis in the southern desalinated zone composed of freshwater species of diatom and green algae were the high population density (1.5 × 10⁶ cells/l), biomass (210 μgC/l), chlorophyll concentration (4.5 μg/l), and uniform distribution in the water column. High primary production (∼40 μgC/l/day) was recorded in the upper 1.5-m layer. The estuarine frontal zone located to the north contained a halocline at a depth of 3–5 m. Freshwater species with low population density (2.5 × 10⁵ cells/l), biomass (24 μgC/l), and chlorophyll concentration (1.5 μg/l) dominated above the halocline. Marine diatom algae, dinoflagellates, and autotrophic flagellates formed a considerable part of the phytocenosis below the halocline; the community characteristics were twofold lower as compared with the upper layer. The maximal values of the primary production (∼10 μgC/l per day) were recorded in the upper 1.5-m layer. The phytocenosis in the seaward zone was formed by marine alga species and was considerably poorer as compared with the frontal zone. The assimilation numbers at the end of the vegetation season in the overall studied area were low, amounting to 0.4–1.0 μgC/μgChl/h in the upper layer and 0.03–0.1 μgC/μgChl/h under the pycnocline.     

Vertical particle fluxes in the coastal areas of the Barents and White Seas

The studies of vertical particle fluxes were performed in 2006–2007 in Dalnezelenetskaya Inlet (the Barents Sea) and Chupa Inlet (the White Sea). The average annual particle flux in Dalnezelenetskaya Inlet was 20–21 cm³/(m² day), or 1350–1400 mg/(m² day), while, in Chupa Inlet, it was 17–18 cm³/(m² day), or 500–550 mg/(m² day). The sedimentary matter is mostly represented by flocculent detritus less than 100 μm in size. Currently, the estimated sedimentation rate constitutes 0.9–1.1 mm per annum in the DI and 0.3–1.0 mm per annum in the Chupa Inlet.     

The rates of organic matter destruction in the central part of the Arctic Basin

The intensity of the processes of organic matter (OM) destruction in the deep-water part of the Arctic Basin is considered in terms of the activities of hydrolytic enzymes (alkaline phosphatase and proteases) and of redox enzymes of the electron transport system (ETS). High concentrations of mineral phosphorus are shown to cause low phosphatase activity (0.000–0.005 μM P/l h). The average time of the phosphate recycling amounted to about 240 h. The ranges of the total and specific activity of protease are 0.000–0.192 mg of azocasein/(l h) and 0.00–3.57 mg of azocasein/h mg of protein, respectively. It is found that the microplankton production of exo- and endopeptidase in the Arctic Basin is controlled by the concentration of nitrates in the water. The values of the total and the specific activities of the ETS enzymes vary within 0.27–8.96 μl O₂/(l h) and 8.4–583 μl O₂/mg of protein h, respectively. It is shown that the maximum values of the total activities of the hydrolytic and redox enzymes are characteristic for the photic layer. The vertical fluxes of organic carbon from the photic layer, being calculated by the activity of the ETS enzymes, amounted to 220–600 g of C_org/year m². The presence of ice intensifies the redox processes by factors of 2–15.     

Hydrocarbon gases in sediments and mud breccia from the central and eastern part of the Mediterranean Ridge

 Microbiologically produced hydrocarbon gases (HCGs) in normal pelagic sediments have lithologically controlled distribution – their content increases sharply in organic-rich sapropels. Generally, the HCG content is low (<10000 nl/l), The amount of heavy HCGs is high (up to 60%, unsaturated HCGs dominate the saturated ones, and ethylene is prevalent. The same features were found in sediment and mud breccia from inactive mud volcanoes. Thermogenic HCG was determined in active mud volcanoes and in a high salinity fluid vent. They are characterized by: high methane concentration, δ¹³C(CH₄) =−37.1 to −57.8%, essential ethane contents (2–7%), absence of unsaturated HCG, and the prevalence of iso-over n-butane.     

Seasonal variations in methane concentrations and diffusive fluxes in the Curonian and Vistula lagoons,Baltic Sea

Expected seasonal variations in methane concentrations and diffusive fluxes from surficial sediments into near-bottom waters were investigated in autumn 2012 and winter 2013 in the Curonian and Vistula lagoons of the Baltic Sea, expanding on earlier findings for summer 2011. Methane concentrations in bottom sediments (upper ca. 2 cm) generally ranged from ca. 1 to 1,000 μmol/dm³, and in near-bottom waters from ca. 0 to 1 μmol/l. Highest concentrations were found in the Curonian Lagoon, plausibly explained by the influence of freshwater conditions and finer-grained, organic-rich sediments. Vistula Lagoon methane concentrations and fluxes are dampened by periodic saline water inflow from the open sea, intensifying sulphate reduction. Calculated diffusive methane fluxes from the upper sediment layer (usually 0–5 cm, i.e. excluding any fluffy layer) into near-bottom waters were highest—2.48 mmol/(m² day)—in clayey silts of the Curonian Lagoon in autumn (September) 2012, contrasting strongly with the minimum value of 0.002 mmol/(m² day) observed there in February 2013 under ice-covered conditions. Seasonal and even weekly variations in methane dynamics can be largely explained by two main drivers, i.e. wind and temperature, operating at various spatiotemporal scales via, for example, wind wave-induced resuspension of bottom sediments, and involving regional weather patterns including autumnal low-pressure zones over the Gulf of Gdansk.     

~(35)SO_4~(2-)示踪法测定九龙江河口沉积中硫酸盐还原速率

在2011年7月利用35SO2-4培养示踪法测定九龙江河口两个站位(A站位位于咸淡混合区,盐度3~5;B站位位于海相区,盐度20~25)沉积柱中硫酸盐还原速率的垂直分布。结果显示A站位沉积柱中硫酸盐还原速率变化范围为54~2 345nmol/(cm3·d),从表层到底部先增大后减小,最大值出现在20cm深度附近;B站位硫酸盐还原速率在24~987nmol/(cm3·d)之间,分别在10cm和78cm深度附近出现两个峰值,分别为876nmol/(cm3·d)和987nmol/(cm3·d)。综合分析两个站位孔隙水中SO2-4、甲烷浓度和沉积物中总有机碳、温度和氧化还原电位的垂直变化趋势与其硫酸盐还原速率的分布规律,表明A站位沉积物中硫酸盐还原以有机矿化为主;B站位受到有机质矿化和甲烷厌氧氧化的共同作用;两个站位硫酸盐还原速率及垂直分布趋势受孔隙水中SO2-4浓度、有机质活性和温度的共同影响;根据各个层位硫酸盐还原速率估算两个站位硫酸盐还原通量(以硫计)分别为527.9mmol/(m2·d)和357.1mmol/(m2·d),表明硫酸盐还原是九龙江河口有机质厌氧矿化的重要路径。     

The concentration and composition of hydrocarbons in water,particulate matter,and bottom sediments of the Kara Sea

Data are presented on the content of aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (AHC and PAH, respectively) in the interstitial waters and bottom sediments of the Kara Sea compared to the distribution of the particulate matter and organic carbon. It was found that the AHC concentrations within the water mass (16 μg/l on average) are mainly formed by natural processes. The AHC distribution represents the variability of the hydrological and sedimentation processes in different regions of the sea. The widest ranges of the concentrations were registered in the Ob Bay-Kara Sea section: in the water (10–310 μg/l for the AHC and 0.4–7.2 ng/l for the PAH) and in the surface layer of the bottom sediments (8–42 μg/l for the AHC and 9–94 ng/g for the PAH). The differentiation of the hydrocarbons (HC) in the different media follows the marginal filter’s regularities; therefore, no oil and pyrogenic compounds are supplied to the open parts of the sea. In the sediment mass, the HC content is determined by the variations in the oxidative conditions in the sediment and its material’s composition.     

绿潮藻浒苔光合固碳与防治海水酸化的作用Ⅰ.光合固碳与海水pH值提高速率研究

以黄海绿潮暴发的主要漂浮种类浒苔 (Ulva prolifera)为材料,在实验室条件下研究了浒苔光合参数、固碳速率及提升海水pH的作用,结果表明:浒苔光合作用半饱和常数K_m为0.25 mmol/dm3,光合作用饱和时海水溶解无机碳(DIC)浓度也只需1.2 mmol/dm3,为正常海水DIC浓度(2.4 mmol/dm3)一半,故黄海绿潮暴发时藻体可以一直保持光合作用饱和与旺盛生长状态。水生条件下浒苔藻体主要吸收海水中的DIC,0.5 g/dm3培养密度下,1个光周期内净光合固碳速率为10.92 mg /(g·d)(鲜重)。连续培养5 d,0.5,1.0和2.5 g/dm3培养密度组的DIC浓度从22 mg/dm3分别降为4.85,2.62和0.66 mg/dm3,表明DIC去除率随藻体培养密度提高而增强,分别可达77.78%,88.00%,96.98%;藻体吸收海水中无机碳的同时可使海水pH升高,0.5 g/dm3培养密度下,1个光周期内净提升pH速率高达0.96/(dm3·g·d)。连续培养5 d,0.5,1.0和2.5 g/dm3培养密度组第1天其pH分别可达到9.1,9.2和9.7,表明藻体密度越高pH提升越快,而且第5天pH均可稳定在9.9左右。浒苔暴露在空气中可直接吸收空气中CO₂,1个光周期内其光合固碳速率约为46.14 mg/(g·d),而在海水中的光合固碳速率为10.92 mg/(g·d),可见浒苔在空气中的光合固碳速率是水中的4.23倍。水生和气生时单位质量藻体的固碳效率因藻体间相互遮蔽而下降。结果可为今后黄海绿潮暴发机制及CO₂减排和防止海洋酸化作用的评估提供技术支撑。     

Estimates of methane output from mud extrusions at the erosive convergent margin off Costa Rica

Four mud extrusions were investigated along the erosive subduction zone off Costa Rica. Active fluid seepage from these structures is indicated by chemosynthetic communities, authigenic carbonates and methane plumes in the water column. We estimate the methane output from the individual mud extrusions using two independent approaches. The first is based on the amount of CH₄ that becomes anaerobically oxidized in the sediment beneath areas covered by chemosynthetic communities, which ranges from 10⁴ to 10⁵ mol yr^− 1. The remaining portion of CH₄, which is released into the ocean, has been estimated to be 10²–10⁴ mol yr^− 1 per mud extrusion. The second approach estimates the amount of CH₄ discharging into the water column based on measurements of the near-bottom methane distribution and current velocities. This approach yields estimates between 10⁴–10⁵ mol yr⁻¹. The discrepancy of the amount of CH₄ emitted into the bottom water derived from the two approaches hints to methane seepage that cannot be accounted for by faunal growth, e.g. focused fluid emission through channels in sediments and fractures in carbonates. Extrapolated over the 48 mud extrusions discovered off Costa Rica, we estimate a CH₄ output of 20·10⁶ mol yr^− 1 from mud extrusions along this 350 km long section of the continental margin. These estimates of methane emissions at an erosional continental margin are considerably lower than those reported from mud extrusion at accretionary and passive margins. Almost half of the continental margins are described as non-accretionary. Assuming that the moderate emission of methane at the mud extrusions off Costa Rica are typical for this kind of setting, then global estimates of methane emissions from submarine mud extrusions, which are based on data of mud extrusions located at accretionary and passive continental margins, appear to be significantly too high.     

夏季长江口及其邻近海域挥发性卤代烃的分布和海-气通量研究

运用吹扫-捕集气相色谱法测定了2017年夏季长江口及其邻近海域海水中4种常见的挥发性卤代烃（VHCs,包括一氟三氯甲烷（CFC-11）、碘甲烷（CH₃I）、三氯甲烷（CH₃CCl₃）和四氯乙烯（C₂Cl₄））以及大气中CFC-11、CH₃I和C₂Cl₄的浓度。结果表明,表层海水中4种VHCs浓度的水平分布受长江径流输入影响强烈,整体上呈现近岸高、远海低的趋势。垂直方向上4种VHCs浓度最高值出现在10 m水层,长江口内断面的浓度整体高于口外断面的浓度。海水中VHCs的浓度分布受水文环境、生物释放和人为因素等的共同影响。相关性分析表明CH₃I与Chl a浓度不存在明显的相关性,而CFC-11与CH₃I、C₂Cl₄浓度存在显著相关性（P<0.01）,表明调查海域人为源对CH₃I和C₂Cl₄的影响大于天然源。大气中CFC-11、CH₃I和C₂Cl₄的浓度分布整体上呈现近岸高、远海低的趋势。CFC-11的浓度低于全球平均值,表明我国CFC-11的排放得到了有效控制。后向轨迹分析表明来自近岸的陆源污染物的扩散和输送是调查海域大气中3种VHCs的重要来源。CFC-11、CH₃I和C₂Cl₄的海-气通量平均值分别为24.99 nmol/（m2·d）、7.80 nmol/（m2·d）、1.55 nmol/（m2·d）,表明夏季长江口及其邻近海域是大气中这3种VHCs的源。     

Methane in the western North Pacific

The concentration of methane in about 400 seawater samples collected in the western North Pacific, mostly from 40°N to 5°S along 165°E was determined. While the concentration of methane in the surface water was slightly greater in the high-latitudes, it did not widely vary with a standard deviation of 0.29 n mol/l for a mean value of 2.49 n mol/l. The 90% confidence limit of the mean was 0.08 n mol/l. The degree of oversaturation in 1991 (31±4%) was not different from that in circa 1970. If we assume that this degree of oversaturation occurs in the entire oceans, the annual flux of methane becomes 6×10¹²g CH₄. Both the concentrations of methane and chlorophylla were higher in the surface 100 m layer. However, the correlation between them was not well in the entire surface waters. This may indicate that the production of methane is not directly related to the photosynthetic process. The concentration of methane decreased gradually with increasing depth down to 1000 m. Its horizontally and vertically uniform concentration in the abyssal water suggests that the turnover time of methane in the oxic pelagic water is in the range between a few years and a few hundred years.     

Isotope parameters (δD, δ<Superscript>18</Superscript>O) and sources of freshwater input to Kara Sea

The isotope characteristics (δD, δ¹⁸О) of Kara Sea water were studied for quantitative estimation of freshwater runoff at stations located along transect from Yamal Peninsula to Blagopoluchiya Bay (Novaya Zemlya). Freshwater samples were studied for glaciers (Rose, Serp i Molot) and for Yenisei and Ob estuaries. As a whole, δD and δ¹⁸O are higher in glaciers than in river waters. isotope composition of estuarial water from Ob River is δD =–131.4 and δ18O =–17.6‰. Estuarial waters of Yenisei River are characterized by compositions close to those of Ob River (–134.4 and–17.7‰), as well as by isotopically “heavier” compositions (–120.7 and–15.8‰). Waters from studied section of Kara Sea can be product of mixing of freshwater (δD =–119.4, δ¹⁸O =–15.5) and seawater (S = 34.9, δD = +1.56, δ¹⁸O = +0.25) with a composition close to that of Barents Sea water. isotope parameters of water vary significantly with salinity in surface layer, and Kara Sea waters are desalinated along entire studied transect due to river runoff. concentration of freshwater is 5–10% in main part of water column, and <5% at a depth of >100 m. maximum contribution of freshwater (>65%) was recorded in surface layer of central part of sea.     

Carbon cycling within the upper methanogenic zone of continental rise sediments; An example from the methane-rich sediments overlying the Blake Ridge gas hydrate deposits

Data from piston cores collected from Carolina Rise and Blake Ridge, and from many DSDP/ODP sites indicate that extreme ¹³C-depletion of methane and ΣCO₂ occurs within the uppermost methanogenic zone of continental rise sediments. We infer that ¹³C-depleted methane is generated near the top of the methanogenic zone when carbon of ¹³C-depleted ΣCO₂, produced by microbially-mediated anaerobic methane oxidation, is recycled back to methane through CO₂ reduction. Interstitial water and gas samples were collected in 27 piston cores, 16 of which penetrated through the sulfate reduction zone into methane-bearing sediments of the Carolina Rise and Blake Ridge. Isotopic measurements (δ¹³C_CH4, δ¹³C_CO2, δD_CH4, and δD_H2O) indicate that this methane is microbial in origin, produced by microbially-mediated CO₂ reduction. Methane samples form two distinct isotopic pools. (1) Methane from a seafloor seep site shows a mean δ¹³C_CH4 value of − 69 ± 2%., mirroring values found at ≥ 160 mbsf from a nearby DSDP site. (2) Twenty, areally-separated sites (sample depth, 10 to 25 mbsf) have δ¹³C_CH4 values ranging from −85 to −103%., and δ¹³C_CO2 as negative as −48%.. The very low δ¹³C values from the methane and CO₂ pools highlight the importance of carbon cycling within continental rise sediments at and near the sulfate-methane boundary.     

Structure and Productivity of the Phytocenosis in the Southwestern Kara Sea in Early Spring

Results of plankton biota studies in the southwestern Kara are presented. The spatial distribution of hydrochemical and hydrophysical parameters related to structural and functional characteristics of phytoplankton in the surface water is considered. The chlorophyll a concentration varied in the surface layer of the Kara Sea from 0.08 to 3.22 mg m^–3 (mean value 0.62 mg m^–3). Primary production varied from 0 to 1.92 mg C m^–3 day^–1 (the mean value of 0.42 mg C m^–3 day^–1) in the ice-covered water areas and was greater by a factor of four, ranging from 1.01 to 3.46 mg C m^–3 day^–1 (the mean value of 1.79 mg C m^–3 day^–1) in ice-free areas. In this case, the total algal biomass varied from 0.8 to 110.7 mg C m^–3 (mean value 10.6 mg C m^–3). It is shown that in the study period, waters from the western Kara Sea were more productive than the estuarine water areas of the Ob and Yenisei rivers. The activity of phototrophic phytoplankton in river waters was almost completely absent. It is established that the contents of nutrients and iron were higher than the threshold for limitation of phytoplankton development. The experiments showed that the production activity of phototrophic algae is restrained by light deficit beneath the ice.     

Virio- and bacterioplankton in the estuary zone of the Ob River and adjacent regions of the Kara Sea shelf

The distribution of structural and functional characteristics of virioplankton in the north of the Ob River estuary and the adjacent Kara Sea shelf (between latitudes 71°44′44″ N and 73°45′24″ N) was studied with consideration of the spatial variations in the number (N _B) and productivity (P _B) of bacteria and water properties (temperature, salinity, density) by analyzing samples taken in September 2013. The number of plankton viruses (N _V), the occurrence of visible infected bacteria cells, virus-induced mortality of bacteria, and virioplankton production in the studied region varied within (214?2917) × 10³ particles/mL, 0.3?5.6% of NB, 2.2?64.4% of P _B, and (6?17248) × 10³ particles/(mL day), respectively. These parameters were the highest in water layers with a temperature of +7.3–7.5°C, salinity of 3.75?5.41 psu, and conventional density (στ) of 2.846?4.144. The number of bacterioplankton was (614?822) × 10³ cells/mL, and the N _V/N _B ratio was 1.1?4.5. A large amount of virus particles were attached to bacterial cells and suspended matter. The data testify to the considerable role of viruses in controlling the number and production of heterotrophic bacterioplankton in the interaction zone of river and sea waters.     

2000年夏季南极普里兹湾及邻近海域浮游植物研究

报道了2000年夏季(1月)在62°~69°S,70°30'~75°30'E的南极普里兹湾邻近海域浮游植物种类组成、丰度分布、叶绿素a浓度及其环境调控.结果表明,调查海区共有浮游植物4门33属65种、变种和变型.浮游植物平均细胞丰度为32.67×103个/dm3.浮游植物细胞丰度和叶绿素a浓度高值均出现在水体较稳定的近岸海湾和冰间湖及毗邻陆架,在大陆坡和深海区它们的值明显减小.浮游植物细胞丰度和叶绿素a浓度在0~50m水层最大,100m以下水层随深度的增加而减小.浮游植物丰度呈昼夜变化,在13:00丰度最高.浮游植物优势种为短菱形藻(Nitzschiacurta),占总丰度的24.8%.浮游植物种类组成和细胞丰度与浮冰和水团稳定性有关.经回归分析,浮游植物细胞丰度与水温、溶解氧成显著正相关,与无机磷(PO_{43--P)和无机氮(NO3--N)成显著负相关.}     

Seasonal variations of phytoplankton diversity in the Coleroon coastal waters, southeast coast of India

The results of an investigation carried out during June 2005 to May 2007 on physico-chemical parameters,species composition and community structure of phytoplankton including Chlorophyll a(Chl-a) at the Coleroon coastal waters(Southeast coast of India) are reported.Air and surface water temperatures(°C) varied from 25.1 to 30.1 and from 24.5 to 28.5 respectively.Salinity values varied from 6 to 28.5 and the pH ranged between 7.0 and 8.3.Variation in dissolved oxygen content was from 3.1 to 7.5 mg/dm-3 while the light extinction coefficient values(LEC) ranged between 3.1 and 10.1 cm.The ranges of inorganic nutrients(μmol/dm-3) viz.,nitrate,nitrite,phosphate and silicate were 10.1-23.4,1.2-8.9,0.2-3.1 and 55-125,respectively.The ranges of Chlorophyll a(μg/dm-3) values was 2.0-7.5.Presently,124 phytoplankton species representing different classes viz:Bacillariophyceae(77),Dinophyceae(19),Cyanophyceae(15),Chlorophyceae(10) and Chrysophyceae(3) were recorded.The phytoplankton cell abundance varied from 0.290 to 111.662 cells/cm-3,with peak diversity(3.38 bits/ind.) during summer season.The maximum abundance was found during summer season coinciding with the stable hydrographical conditions.The seasonal distribution and abundance of phytoplankton are discussed in relation to hydrographical parameters.Canonical Correspondence Analysis(CCA) was applied in this paper for discriminating environmental factors having effect on phytoplankton community at species level.Coleroon coastal water is subjected to long term fluctuations in physico-chemical parameters depending upon the seasonal tidal amplitude and freshwater influx resulting in a continuous exchange of organic,inorganic,plant and animal matters.     

Experimental studies on the possible influences of composition changes of pore water on the stability conditions of methane hydrate in marine sediments

Experiments with a set of electrolyte solutions have been carried out to investigate the effects of pore water composition changes on the stability conditions of methane hydrate in marine sediments. The results reveal that (1) SO₄²⁻ and Cl⁻ concentration changes can affect hydrate stability slightly, (2) the changes in both the type and the concentration of cations, which occur in normal diagenetic processes, do not exert a significant influence on the methane hydrate stability conditions, and (3) the shift of hydrate stability in pore water can be expressed as a function of the Cl⁻ concentration only. Based on the results above, an empirical equation ΔT (K)=0.00206 Cl⁻ (mmol/dm³) has been obtained for estimating the shift in the equilibrium temperature of methane hydrate in pore water at a given pressure.