Modeling Dissociation of Gas Hydrates in Marine Sediments and Processes Related to Methane Transport in Faults and Fractures

Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

The PIs will construct and apply a relatively complex numerical model for the formation and dissociation of gas hydrate in marine sediments. Utility of the model will include: understanding several geological observations, such as anomalous freshening below the BSR; BSR offsets across faults; and assessing potential expectations of a perturbed gas hydrate system, such as methane release and crack propagation The PIs will modify earlier models by including a number of new factors, such as, latent heat and salinity, and incorporating feedbacks among gas hydrate dissociation and changes in pressure, temperature and salinity. They will also attempt to test their models against empirical observations of the gas hydrate system.