Timing of Seep Activities and Potential Driving Forces

Abstract

AbstractOne of the foremost topics in seep research is the timing of seep activities and their potential driving forces. In the South China Sea, seep activities are primarily driven by gas hydrate dissociation–destabilization of gas hydrate leads to a release of methane. As decreases in pressure and increases in temperature promote gas hydrate dissociation, ocean warming and sea level lowstands are proposed to cause the dissociation of gas hydrate deposits and consequently induce methane seepage at the seafloor. Cross-slope investigations suggest that the bottom water pressure‒temperature conditions appear to have different impacts on seeps at different water depths. It is possible that seepage in the upper continental slope is more sensitive to sea level changes than that in the middle and lower continental slopes, which are more sensitive to bottom water temperature. Scientific drilling and the application of a range of geochemical and geophysical analytical approaches are proposed to advance our understanding of the temporal evolution of seep systems in the South China Sea.