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Tracing seafloor methane emissions with benthic foraminifera in the Baiyun Sag of the northern South China Sea

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Abstract

Changes in the concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases are an important part of the global climate forcing. The hypothesis that benthic foraminifera are useful proxies of local methane emission from the seafloor has been verified on sediment cores by numerous studies. The calcium carbonate (CaCO3) content and the high-resolution carbon and oxygen isotope composition of the benthic foraminifera from the core 08CF7, from the northeastern Shenhu gas hydrate drilling area in the Baiyun Sag of the northern South China Sea were analyzed, and the benthic foraminifera’s evidence for methane release from gas hydrate decomposition are presented here for the first time. Two rapid obvious carbon isotope negative excursions were observed in the oxygen isotope stage boundaries 5d/5c and 6/5e (penultimate deglaciation, about 130 ka) of the cold-to-warm climatic transition period. The largest negative value of δ13C is about −2.95 ‰, and the whole change of carbon and oxygen isotope is strikingly similar and is in consonance with the atmospheric methane concentration recorded by the Vostok ice core and the carbon isotopic record from Lake Baikal. Combining these results with the analysis of the geological conditions of the study area and the fact that gas hydrate exists in the surrounding area, it can be concluded that the carbon isotope negative excursions of the benthic foraminifera in the northern South China Sea are associated with methane release from gas hydrate decomposition due to deglacial climate warming. By recording the episodes of massive gas hydrate decomposition closely linked with the northern hemisphere temperatures during major warming periods, the new δ13C record from the Baiyun Sag provides further evidence for the potential impact of gas hydrate reservoir on rapid deglacial rises of atmospheric methane levels.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX2-YW-GJ03-01), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41276050, 41176052), the Scientific and Technology Program of Guangdong Province (2011A080403021), the National Basic Research Program of China(973) (2009CB219502-4). We appreciate the thoughtful and constructive comments provided by editor and reviewers, which improve the manuscript.

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  1. CAS Key Laboratory of Marginal Sea Geology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, People’s Republic of China

    Shuhong Wang & Wen Yan

  2. Guangzhou Center for Gas Hydrate Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, People’s Republic of China

    Shuhong Wang & Wen Yan

  3. South China Sea Marine Engineering Surveying Center, State Oceanic Administration, Guangzhou, 510300, People’s Republic of China

    Bin Yan

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  1. Shuhong Wang
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Correspondence to Wen Yan.

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Wang, S., Yan, B. & Yan, W. Tracing seafloor methane emissions with benthic foraminifera in the Baiyun Sag of the northern South China Sea. Environ Earth Sci 70, 1143–1150 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-012-2201-2

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