Shallow-ocean methane leakage and degassing to the atmosphere: triggered by offshore oil-gas and methane hydrate explorations
Journal: Frontiers in Marine Science
Year: 2015

Both offshore oil-gas exploration and marine methane hydrate recovery can trigger massive CH 4 release from seafloor. During upward transportation of CH 4 plume through water column, CH 4 is subjected to dissolution and microbial consumption despite the protection of hydrate and oil coating on bubbles surface. The ultimate CH 4 degassing to the atmosphere appears to be water-depth dependent. In shallow oceans with water depth less than 100 m, the natural or human-induced leakages or both lead to