Abstractbog printer - ansatte - Roskilde Universitet

Abstracts - Posters
P11. Methane and possible gas hydrates offshore central west Greenland
Naja Mikkelsen, Troels Laier, Tove Nielsen, Antoon Kuijpers, Niels Norgaard-Pedersen, Jakob
Bruun Kristensen
GEUS – Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350
Copenhagen K, Denmark nm@geus.dk
Current climate models predict an annual temperature increase in the Arctic between 4° and 6°C by
the end of the 21 st century. The increase will seriously impact the Arctic environment and lead to
thawing of the permanently frozen, high-latitude peat-lands and to the degradation of marine gas
hydrates increasing the rate of methane release to the atmosphere.
Two scientific cruises were undertaken in 2011 and 2012 in the Disko Bugt region offshore central
wet Greenland a part of the scientific project Impact onpermafrost, gas hydrates and periglacial
processes following climate changes in Greenland (Permagas). The aim of the cruises was to locate
and sample methane occurring as free gas in the water column and to locate and investigate possible
gashydrates in the sub-seabed and seepages in to the water column. Seismic investigations were
undertaken to locate the potential gas containing sediment sites which were subsequently cored
using a gravity and a Rumohrlot coring system.
The geochemical data obtained during the two cruises to the area offshore west Greenland indicate
that gas hydrates may occur in the region.
Program 17. danske havforskermøde, 128