Salinity-induced hydrate dissociation: A mechanism for recent CH4 release on Mars

Geophysical Research Letters

Volumn 34, Issue 11, 2007, Pages

  Elwood Madden, M E ^a   Ulrich, S M ^a   Onstott, T C ^b   Phelps, T J ^a  

^a OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY   (United States)

^b PRINCETON UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

DISSOCIATION; GAS HYDRATES; METHANE; PHOTOLYSIS; PRESSURE GRADIENT; SALINITY MEASUREMENT; THERMAL GRADIENTS;

GEOTHERMAL GRADIENT; HYDROTHERMAL ACTIVITY; METHANOGENESIS; VOLCANIC ACTIVITY;

MARTIAN SURFACE ANALYSIS;

GAS HYDRATE; MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE; METHANE; METHANOGENESIS; PHOTOLYSIS; SALINITY;

EID: 34547979659     PISSN: 00948276     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1029/2006GL029156     Document Type: Article

References (49)

1. 2 system with various salts, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 60(10), 1657-1681.
2. 2O photolysis in the presence of CO, Icarus, 181(1), 320-322.
3. Bell, J. F., III, et al. (2000), Mineralogic and compositional properties of Martian soil and dust: Results from Mars Pathfinder, J. Geophys. Res., 105(E1), 1721-1755.
4. 2-Salt system at Mars near-surface conditions, Lunar Planet. Sci., XXXII, Abstract 1689.
5. Bridges, J. C., et al. (2001), Alteration assemblages in Martian meteorites: Implications for near-surface processes, Space Sci. Rev., 96(1)-(4), 365-392,
6. Clarke, M. A., and P. R. Bishnoi (2004), Development of a new equation of state for mixed salt and mixed solvent systems, and application to vapour-liquid and solid (hydrate)-vapour-liquid equilibrium calculations, Fluid Phase Equilibria, 220(1), 21-35.
7. Clifford, S. M. (1993), A model for the hydrologic and climatic behavior of water on Mars, J. Geophys. Res., 98(E6), 10,973-11,016.
8. Clifford, S. M., and T. J. Parker (2001), The evolution of the Martian hydrosphere: Implications for the fate of a primordial ocean and the current state of the northern plains, Icarus, 154(1), 40-79.
9. Dalmazzone, D., et al. (2004), The stability of methane hydrates in highly concentrated electrolyte solutions by differential scanning calorimetry and theoretical computation, Am. Mineral., 89(8-9), 1183-1191.
10. de Roo, J. L., et al. (1983), Occurrence of methane hydrate in saturated and unsaturated solutions of sodium chloride and water in dependence of temperature and pressure, AlChE J., 29(4), 651-657.
11. Dickens, G. R., and M. S. QuinbyHunt (1997), Methane hydrate stability in pore water: A simple theoretical approach for geophysical applications, J. Geophys. Res., 102(B1), 773-783.
12. 2-, Mar. Chem., 98, 131-139.
13. Englezos, P. (1992), Computation of the incipient equilibrium carbon dioxide formation conditions in aqueous electrolyte solutions, Ind Eng. Chem. Res., 31, 2232-2237.
14. Englezos, P., and P. R. Bishnoi (1988), Prediction of gas hydrate formation conditions in aqueous-electrolyte solutions, AlChE J., 34(10), 1718-1721.
15. Englezos, P., and S. Hall (1994), Phase equilibrium data on carbon dioxide hydrate in the presence of electrolytes, water soluble polymers and montmorillonite, Can. J. Chem. Eng., 72, 887-893.
16. Formisano, V., et al. (2004), Detection of methane in the atmosphere of Mars, Science, 306, 1758-1761.
17. Handa, Y. P. (1990), Effect of hydrostatic pressure and salinity on the stability of gas hydrates, J. Phys. Chem., 94, 2652-2657.
18. Heeschen, K. U., R. W. Collier, M. A. de Angelis, E. Suess, G. Rehder, P. Linke, and G. P. Klinkhammer (2005), Methane sources, distributions, and fluxes from cold vent sites at Hydrate Ridge, Cascadia Margin, Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 19, GB2016, doi: 10.1029/2004GB002266.
19. 2, Icarus, 146(2), 326-342.
20. Jakosky, B. M., et al. (1995), Chaotic obliquity and the nature of the Martian climate, J. Geophys. Res., 100(E1), 1579-1584.
21. Javanmardi, J., and M. Moshfeghian (2000), A new approach for prediction of gas hydrate formation conditions in aqueous electrolyte solutions, Fluid Phase Equilibria, 168(2), 135-148.
22. Kharrat, M., and D. Dalmazzone (2003), Experimental determination of stability conditions of methane hydrate in aqueous calcium chloride solutions using high pressure differential scanning calorimetry, J. Chem. Thermodyn., 35(9), 1489-1505.
23. 2 in the Martian atmosphere: Implications for seepage and origin of methane, Icarus, 178(2), 487-492.
24. Krasnopolsky, V. A. (2006), Some problems related to the origin of methane on Mars, Icarus, 180(2), 359-367.
25. Kress, M. E., and C. P. McKay (2004), Formation of methane in comet impacts: Implications for Earth, Mars, and Titan, Icarus, 168(2), 475-483.
26. 2O: Application to Mars, J. Geophys. Res., 111, E06011, doi:10.1029/2005JE002552.
27. Lyons, J. R., C. Manning, and F. Nimmo (2005), Formation of methane on Mars by fluid-rock interaction in the crust, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L13201, doi:10.1029/2004GL022161.
28. Maekawa, T., et al. (1995), Pressure and temperature conditions for methane hydrate dissociation in sodium-chloride solutions, Geochem. J., 29(5), 325-329.
29. Masoudi, R., et al. (2004), Experimental measurement and thermodynamic modelling of clathrate hydrate equilibria and salt solubility in aqueous ethylene glycol and electrolyte solutions, Fluid Phase Equilibria, 219(2), 157-163.
30. Masoudi, R., et al. (2005), Measurement and prediction of gas hydrate and hydrated salt equilibria in aqueous ethylene glycol and electrolyte solutions, Chem. Eng. Sci., 60(15), 4213-4224.
31. Max, M. D., and S. M. Clifford (2000), The state, potential distribution, and biological implications of methane in the Martian crust, J. Geophys. Res., 105(E2), 4165-4171.
32. Max, M. D., and S. M. Clifford (2001), Initiation of Martian outflow channels: Related to the dissociation of gas hydrate?, Geophys. Res. Lett., 28(9), 1787-1790.
33. Max, M. D., and S. M. Clifford (2005), Crustal sources of atmospheric methane on Mars: The association with ground ice and the potential role of local thermal anomalies, Lunar Planet. Sci., XXXVI, Abstract 2303.
34. 2 content of the Martian polar deposits, Icarus, 124(1), 268-279.
35. Miller, S. L., and W. D. Smythe (1970), Carbon dioxide clathrate in the Martian ice cap, Science, 170, 531-533.
36. Ming, D. W., et al. (2006), Geochemical and mineralogical indicators for aqueous processes in the Columbia Hills of Gusev crater, Mars, J. Geophys. Res., 111, E02S12, doi:10.1029/2005JE002560.
37. Mumma, M. J., et al. (2003), A sensitive search for methane on Mars, Bull. Am. Astron. Soc., 35(4), 937.
38. Munck, J., et al. (1988), Computations of the formation of gas hydrates, Chem. Eng. Sci., 43(10), 2661-2672.
39. 4: Sources, flux, and detection, Astrobiology, 6(2), 377-395.
40. Oze, C., and M. Sharma (2005), Have olivine, will gas: Serpentinization and the abiogenic production of methane on Mars, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L10203, doi:10.1029/2005GL022691.
41. Pellenbarg, R. E., M. D. Max, and S. M. Clifford (2003), Methane and carbon dioxide hydrates on Mars: Potential origins, distribution, detection, and implications for future in situ resource utilization, J. Geophys. Res., 108(E4), 8042, doi:10.1029/2002JE001901.
42. Prieto-Ballesteros, O., et al. (2006), Interglacial clathrate destabilization on Mars: Possible contributing source of its atmospheric methane, Geology, 34(3), 149-152.
43. Ruppel, C., G. R. Dickens, D. G. Castellini, W. Gilhooly, and D. Lizarralde (2005), Heat and salt inhibition of gas hydrate formation in the northern Gulf of Mexico, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L04605, doi:10.1029/2004GL021909.
44. Sherwood Lollar, B., et al. (2006), Unravelling abiogenic and biogenic sources of methane in the Earth's deep subsurface, Chem. Geol., 226(3-4), 328-339.
45. Sloan, E. D. (1998), Clathrate Hydrates of Natural Gases, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.
46. Squyres, S. W., et al. (2004), In situ evidence for an ancient aqueous environment at Meridiani Planum, Mars, Science, 306, 1709-1714.
47. Tohidi, B., et al. (1997), Hydrate-free zone for synthetic and real reservoir fluids in the presence of saline water, Chem. Eng. Sci., 52(19), 3257-3263.
48. Valentine, D. L., M. Kastner, G. D. Wardlaw, X. Wang, A. Purdy, and D. H. Bartlett (2005), Biogeochemical investigations of marine methane seeps, Hydrate Ridge, Oregon, J. Geophys. Res., 110, G02005, doi:10.1029/2005JG000025.
49. Van Der Ham, F., et al. (2002), Application of eutectic freeze crystallization to process streams and wastewater purification, NPT Procestechnol., 8(6), 14-19.