Gas hydrate of Lake Baikal: Discovery and varieties

Oleg Khlystov (1) , Marc de Batist (2) , Hitoshi Shoji (3) , Akihiro Hachikubo (3) , Shinya Nishio (4) , Lieven Naudts (2) , Jeffrey Poort (5) , Andrey Khabuev (1) , Oleg Belousov (1) , Andrey Y. Manakov (1, 6) , Gennady Kalmychkov (1)

1 Limnologial Institute of the Siberian Division of the Russina
2 Renard Centre of Marine Geology
3 Kitami Institute
4 Technology Institute of Shimizu Corporation
5 iSTeP - Institut des Sciences de la Terre de Paris
6 Nikolaev Institute of Inorganic Chemistry

This paper summarizes the results of recent gas-hydrate studies in Lake Baikal, the only fresh-water lake in the world containing gas hydrates in its sedimentary infill. We provide a historical overview of the different investigations and discoveries and highlight some recent breakthroughs in our understanding of the Baikal hydrate system. So far, 21 sites of gas hydrate occurrence have been discovered. Gas hydrates are of structures I and II, which are of thermogenic, microbial, and mixed origin. At the 15 sites, gas hydrates were found in mud volcanoes, and the rest six – near gas discharges. Additionally, depending on type of discharge and gas hydrate structure, they were visually different. Investigations using MIR submersibles allowed finding of gas hydrates at the bottom surface of Lake Baikal at the three sites.

Mots clés: Gas; Gas hydrate; Mud volcano; Seep; MIR submersible; Lake Baikal

Domaines: Sciences de la Terre

Oleg Khlystov, Marc de Batist, Hitoshi Shoji, Akihiro Hachikubo, Shinya Nishio, et al.. Gas hydrate of Lake Baikal: Discovery and varieties. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 2013, 62, pp.162-166. ⟨10.1016/j.jseaes.2012.03.009⟩. ⟨hal-01441788⟩