Abstract
Anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) occurring in the marine sediment is an important process for methane cycle and methane sequestration. In this work, a one-dimensional numerical model was developed to study the distribution of advective methane flux with the AOM process. The model has been applied to investigate the gas hydrates bearing sediments of Shenhu areas located in the northern South China Sea, where advective methane transport was detected. The modeling results suggest that methane flux will be consumed in the sediment column via dissolution, sorption, and AOM reaction. Only when the methane flux was one order of magnitude higher than current level, then a portion of methane will enter water column and possibly escape to the atmosphere. The numerical simulation also revealed that, due to the lower permeability of the silt–clay sediments, a much thicker sulfate-methane transition zone exists in the Shenhu area, where AOM is able to consume more.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alperin M, Hoehler T (2010) Biogeochemistry the ongoing mystery of sea-floor methane. Science 329:288–289
Boetius A, Ravenschlag K, Schubert C, Rickert D, Widdel F, Gieseke A, Amann R, Jogensen BB, Witte U, Pfannkuche O (2000) Amarine microbial consortium apparently mediating anaerobic oxidation of methane. Nature 407:623–626
Borowski W, Paull C, Ussler W (1996) Marine pore-water sulfate profiles indicate in situ methane flux from underlying gas hydrate. Geology 24:655–658
Boudreau B (1997) Diagenetic models and their implementation. Springer, Berlin
Chen D, Huang Y, Feng D, Su Z, Chen G (2005) Seep carbonate and preserved bacteria fossils in the northern of the South China Sea and their geological implications. Bull Miner Pet Geochem 24:185–189 (Chinese version)
Chen Z, Yang H, Huang C, Yan W, Lu J (2008) Diagenetic environment and implication of seep carbonate precipitations from the southwestern Dongsha Area, South China Sea. Geoscience 22:382–389 (Chinese version)
Dale A, Van Cappellen P, Aguilera D, Regnier P (2008) Methane efflux from marine sediments in passive and active margins: estimations from bioenergetic reaction-transport simulations. Earth Planet Sci Lett 265:329–344
D’Hondt S, Rutherford S, Spivack A (2002) Metabolic activity of subsurface life in deep-sea sediments. Science 295:2067–2070
Duan Z, Mao S (2006) A thermodynamic model for calculating methane solubility, density and gas phase composition of methane-bearing aqueous fluids from 273 to 523 K and from 1 to 2000 bar. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 70:3369–3386
Duan Z, Weare J (1992) The prediction of methane solubility in natureal-waters tohigh ionic-strength from 0-degrees C to 250-degrees C and from 0 Bar to 1600 Bar—Reply. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 56:4303
Fang Y, Chu F (2008) The relationship of sulfate-methane interface, the methane flux and the underlying gas hydrate. Mar Sci Bull 10:28–37
Friend D, Ely J, Ingham H (1989) Thermophysical properties of methane. J Phys Chem Ref Data 18:583–638
Garg S, Pritchett J, Katoh A, Baba K, Fujii T (2008) A mathematical model for the formation and dissociation of methane hydrates in the marine environment. J Geophys Res Solid Earth 113:B01201
Guan J, Fan S, Liang D, Ning F (2009) Methane hydrate growth velocity in seepage system of Qiongdongnan Basin, South China Sea. Chin J Geophys Chin Ed 52:765–775
Han X, Suess E, Huang Y, Wu N, Bohrrnann G, Su X, Eisenhauer A, Rehder G, Fang Y (2008) Jiulong methane reef: microbial mediation of seep carbonates in the South China Sea. Mar Geol 249:243–256
Hinrichs KU, Boetius A (2002) The anaerobic oxidation of methane: new insights in microbial ecology and biogeochemistry. In: Wefer G, Hebbeln D, Jørgensen BB, Schlüter M, van Weering T (eds) Ocean margin systems. Springer, Berlin
Hinrichs KU, Hazes J, Sylva S, Brewer P, DeLong E (1999) Methane-consuming archaebacteria in marine sediments. Nature 398:802–805
Hoehler T, Alperin M, Albert D, Martens C (1994) Field and laboratory studies of methane oxidation in and anoxic marine sediment—evidence for a methanogen-sulfate reduce consortium. Global Biogeochem Cycles 8:451–463
Iversen N, Jorgensen B (1985) Anaerobic methane oxidation rates at the sulfate-methane transition in marine sediments from Kattegat and Skagerrak (Denmark). Limnol Oceanogr 30:944–955
Joye S, Boetius A, Orcutt B, Montoya J, Schulz H, Erickson M, Lugo S (2004) The anaerobic oxidation of methane and sulfate reduction in sediments from Gulf of Mexico cold seeps. Chem Geol 205:219–238
Knittel K, Boetius A (2009) Anaerobic oxidation of methane: progress with an unknown process. Annu Rev Microbiol 63:311–334
Leifer I, Patro R (2002) The bubble mechanism for methane transport from the shallow sea bed to the surface: a review and sensitivity study. Cont Shelf Res 22:2409–2428
Leverett M, Member A (1941) Capillary behavior in porous solids. Pet Trans AIME 142:152–169
Li G, Li X, Zhang K, Moridis G (2011) Numerical simulation of gas production from hydrate accumulations using a single horizontal well in Shenhu Area, South China Sea. Chin J Geophys Chin Ed 54:2325–2337
Lu H, Chen F, Liu J, Zhou Y, Liao Z (2010) Mineralogies and stable isotopic compositions of methane-derived carbonates from the northeastern South China Sea. Mar Geol Quat Geol 30:51–59 (Chinese version)
Niemann H, Duarte J, Hensen C, Omoregie E, Magalhaes V, Elvert M, Pinheiro L, Kopf A, Boetius A (2006) Microbial methane turnover at mud volcanoes of the Gulf of Cadiz. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 70:5336–5355
Omoregie E, Niemann H, Mastalerz V, de Lange G, Stadnitskaia A, Mascle J, Foucher J, Boetius A (2009) Microbial methane oxidation and sulfate reduction at cold seeps of the deep Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Mar Geol 261:114–127
Orphan V, House C, Hinrichs K, McKeegan K, DeLong E (2001) Methane-consuming archaea revealed by directly coupled isotopic and phylogenetic analysis. Science 293:484–487
Pinder G, Gray W (2008) Essentials of multiphase flow and transport in porous media. Wiley, Hoboken
Reeburgh W (1976) Methane consumption in cariaco trench waters and sediments. Earth Planet Sci Lett 28:337–344
Reeburgh W (2007) Oceanic methane biogeochemistry. Chem Rev 107:486–513
Ren Q, Chen G, Yan W, Guo T (2000) Interfacial tension of (CO2+CH4) plus water from 298 K to 373 K and pressures up to 30 MPa. J Chem Eng Data 45:610–612
Sivan O, Schrag D, Murray R (2007) Rates of methanogenesis and methanotrophy in deep-sea sediments. Geobiology 5:141–151
Su X, Chen F, Wei S, Zhang Y, Cheng S, Lu H, Yongyang H (2007) Preliminary study on the correlation between microbial abundance and methane concentration in sediments from cold seeps in the northern South China Sea. Geoscience 21:101–104 (Chinese version)
Su P, Liang J, Sha Z, Fu S, Lei H, Gong Y (2011) Dynamic simulation of gas hydrate reservoirs in the Shenhu area, the northern South China Sea. Acta Petrolei Sinica 32:226–233 (Chinese version)
Su Z, Cao Y, Wu N, Chen D, Yang S, Wang H (2012) Numerical investigation on methane hydrate accumulation in Shenhu Area, northern continental slope of South China Sea. Mar Pet Geol 38:158–165
Suess E (2005) RV Sonne cruise report SO 177: SiGer 2004; Sino-German Cooperative Project; South China Sea Continental Margin: Geological Methane Budget and Environmental Effects of Methane Emissions and Gashydrates, RV Sonne cruise SO 177, Bremerhaven, PANGAEA
Suess E, Yu X, Han X, Hongliang L, Jin X, Gong J, Huang Y, Wu N, Su X (2008) Biomarkers and carbon isotope composition of anaerobic oxidation of methane in sediments and carbonates of northeastern part of Dongsha, South China Sea. Acta Oceanologica Sinica 30:77–84 (Chinese version)
Sun C, Hen G, Yang L (2004) Interfacial tension of methane plus water with surfactant near the hydrate formation conditions. J Chem Eng Data 49:1023–1025
Tishchenko P, Hensen C, Wallmann K, Wong C (2005) Calculation of the stability and solubility of methane hydrate in seawater. Chem Geol 219:37–52
Treude T, Boetius A, Knittel K, Wallmann K, Jorgensen B (2003) Anaerobic oxidation of methane above gas hydrates at Hydrate Ridge, NE Pacific Ocean. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 264:1–14
Treude T, Niggemann J, Kallmeyer J, Wintersteller P, Schubert C, Boetius A, Jorgensen B (2005) Anaerobic oxidation of methane and sulfate reduction along the Chilean continental margin. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 69:2767–2779
Udell K, Fitch J (1985) Heat and mass transfer in capillary porous media considering evaporation, condensation and non-condensible gas effects heat transfer in porous media and particulate flows, ASME HTD-46. In: Proceeding, Denver
Wefer G, Billet D, Hebbeln D, Jorgensen B, Schluter M, Weering T (2003) Ocean margin systems. Springer, Berlin
Wu N, Zhang H, Yang S, Liang J, Wang H (2007) Preliminary discussion on natural gas hydrate (NGH) reservoir system of Shenhu area, North Slope of South China Sea. Nat Gas Ind 27:1–6 (Chinese version)
Wu N, Yang S, Wang H, Liang J, Gong Y, Lu Z, Wu D, Guang H (2009) Gas-bearing fluid influx sub-system for gas hydrate geological system in Shenhu Area, northern South China Sea. Chin J Geophys Chin Ed 52:1641–1650
Wu N, Zhang H, Yang S, Zhang G, Liang J, Lu J, Su X, Schultheiss P, Holland M, Zhu Y (2011) Gas hydrate systems of Shenhu Area, northern South China Sea, geochemical results. J Geol Res. doi:10.1155/2011/370298
Yang T, Jiang S, Ge L, Yang J, Wu N, Zhang G, Liu J (2010) Geochemical characteristics of pore water in shallow sediments from Shenhu area of South China Sea and their significance for gas hydrate occurrence. Chin Sci Bull 55:752–760
Yin X, Zhou H, Yang Q, Wang H, Chen J (2008) The evidence for the existence of methane seepages in the northern South China Sea: abnormal high methane concentration in bottom waters. Acta Oceanologica Sinica 30:69–75 (Chinese version)
Zhang H, Yang S, Wu N, Su X, Holland M, Schultheiss P, Rose K, Butler H, and Humphrey G (2007) Successful and surprising results for China’s first gas hydrate drilling expedition. Fire Ice Newsl Fall: 6–9
Zhang Y, Su X, Chen F, Jiang H, Lu H, Zhou Y, Wang Y (2010) Archaeal diversity in surface marine sediments of rock core from shenhu area (HS-373PC) on continental slope of northern South China Sea. Adv Mar Sci 28:318–324 (Chinese version)
Acknowledgments
This work was financially supported by the NSFC-Guangdong Joint Science Foundation of China (No. U0933004), National Special Project of Marine Geology (GHZ2012006003), Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. kzcx2-YW-GJ03, KGCX2-YW-805), Scientific and Technology Program of Guangdong Province (No. 2011A080403021) and Director Foundation of Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion (No. Y107a21001). The authors gratefully acknowledge the anonymous reviewers for valuable comments on the manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Liu, L., Wu, N. Simulation of advective methane flux and AOM in Shenhu area, the northern South China Sea. Environ Earth Sci 71, 697–707 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-2471-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-2471-3