Methane
Clathrate Destabilziation in Equatorial Tidalites During
Deglaciation
Kennedy, Martin J.1, David D.
Mrofka1 (1)
The global-warming induced
destabilization of oceanic and terrestrial methane clathrates represents a wild
card in the climate system. The climate effects of this
potentially non- linear response to subtle warming is difficult to
accurately access given that it has not been active in historical time. The
deep time record, however, provides multiple candidates for climate induced
methane clathrate destabilization, with one of the best candidates during the
terminal Proterozoic following what was likely to be the most severe ice age in
Earth history. Cold temperatures and expansive intracratonic basins exposed to
terrestrial conditions during this severe ice house would have optimized the
potential for methane clathrate accumulation in both marine and continental
permafrost settings. We have identified numerous global-examples of methane-influenced
deglacial sediments at a similar interval. In some cases, methane flux may have
been significant enough to establish large, complex deepwater microbial
carbonate mounds (> 100 m) on basin margins and drive oceans anoxic. In
AAPG Search and Discover Article #90063©2007 AAPG Annual Convention, Long Beach, California