Research project IGV| Methane hydrate stability in a changing Arctic Ocean

Hydrate stability along the Eastern Arctic continental margin and its sensitivity to bottom temperature changes is investigated based on measured sediment physical properties and state-of-the-art numerical hydrate system modelling. Potential mechanisms and probability for gas hydrate dissociation related to Arctic warming will be addressed involving investigation of possible effects from increased influx of warmer Atlantic water and a summer-sea ice free Arctic Ocean. This study will benefit from sediment data and acoustic water column and sub-bottom imagery to be collected during the SWERUS-C3 (Swedish-Russian-US Arctic Ocean Investigation of Climate-Cryosphere-Carbon Interactions) 2014 expedition to the Eastern Arctic Ocean with Swedish icebreaker Oden. Hydroacoustic imagery will be analyzed to gather information on the present-day net methane release from the sediments and for investigating the fate of the methane gas within the water column.