Gas hydrates off Canada's western cost studied

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An ocean-drilling expedition off Canada's western coast has revealed unexpected concentrations of frozen gas hydrates, primarily natural gas, at shallow depths of 50-120 meters below the seafloor, challenging previous assumptions about their formation. Conducted aboard the U.S. research vessel JOIDES Resolution over 43 days in Fall 2005, the expedition focused on the northern Cascadia Margin. Co-chief Michael Riedel from McGill University noted that these findings contradict the belief that gas hydrates are typically found deeper, below 500 meters in offshore areas or within Arctic permafrost. Co-chief Timothy S. Collett from the U.S. Geological Survey emphasized the significance of sediment grain size in gas hydrate formation, as high concentrations were consistently recovered from sand-rich sediment layers. This research suggests a need to reevaluate existing models of gas hydrate distribution and formation processes.
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http://iodp.tamu.edu/scienceops/expeditions/exp311.html
http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=GPYSA7000067000004001038000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=yes
http://www.iodp.org/news-releases/frozen-natural-gas-discovered
Ocean-drilling expedition off Canada's western coast produced data on various frozen gas hydrates is largely natural gas

Contrary to established expectations of how gas hydrate deposits form, IODP expedition co-chief Michael Riedel, of McGill University, Montreal, confirms, "We found anomalous occurrences of high concentrations of gas hydrate at relatively shallow depths, 50-120 meters below the seafloor."

The science party used the drilling facility and laboratories of the U.S. research vessel, JOIDES Resolution, on a 43-day expedition in Fall 2005 during which they retrieved core samples from a geological area known as the (northern) Cascadia Margin. Gas hydrate deposits are typically found below the seafloor in offshore locations where water depths exceed 500 meters, and in Arctic permafrost regions. Gas hydrate remains stable only under low temperature and relatively high pressure.

IODP co-chief scientist Timothy S. Collett of the U.S. Geological Survey states, "After repeatedly recovering high concentrations of gas hydrate in sand-rich layers of sediment, we're reporting strong support for sediment grain size as a controlling factor in gas hydrate formation." Prior to drilling, the scientists anticipated that gas hydrate would be more concentrated at deeper levels below the seafloor and more evenly distributed among the various grain sizes comprising the sediments.
 
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None of the pictures in the report were that pretty. Just the stuff covered in weird-looking sand. Huge grains, black-ish.
 
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