HR: 0800h
AN: OS41C-0486    [Abstracts]
TI: Hydrate and Free Gas Concentrations in the Storegga Slide Region: Links to Mass Wasting and Climate Change
AU: * Nealon, J W
EM: jnealon@uwyo.edu
AF: University of Wyoming, 1000 University Ave, Laramie, WY 82072 United States
AU: Holbrook, W S
EM: steveh@uwyo.edu
AF: University of Wyoming, 1000 University Ave, Laramie, WY 82072 United States
AU: Brown, H
EM: hbrown@uwyo.edy
AF: University of Wyoming, 1000 University Ave, Laramie, WY 82072 United States
AB: The Storegga Slide has mobilized over 55,000 cubic km of sediment during its active history. Much of this sediment was located at depths that would place it in the methane hydrate stability zone. As the northern flank of the slide has shown evidence of an active hydrate an free gas system, it has become of increasing scientific importance to understand the link between the mass wasting events at the slide and the hydrate system as it may related to regional or global climate change. To this end, we have quantified the amount of hydrate and free gas present both inside and outside the slide scar to determine the possible amount of methane that could have escaped through the mass wasting events. Concentrations were obtained through detailed P-wave velocity analysis of multi-channel seismic reflection data collected in September 2003 velocity measurements were obtained through a combination of prestack interval tomography and 1D waveform inversion. These results were then incorporated into an effective medium model for hydrate and free gas quantification. Results indicate significantly less hydrate and free gas within the slide scar but no causal link between slide movement and methane mobilization.
DE: 3000 MARINE GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS
DE: 3005 Geomagnetism (1550)
DE: 1635 Oceans (4203)
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting