Based on the concepts of occurrence of submarine gas hydrates as accumulations and on the general regularities of changes in their concentrations, global assessment of gas amount in gas hydrates of the Ocean is given. It is shown that the shape and size of gas hydrate accumulations are controlled either by a concentrated flow of gas-containing fluids through the zone of gas hydrate stability and by parameters of their diffusive dispersion halo or by a dissipated flow of gas-saturated water depending on fluid guides and lithology of the deposits. Geologo-geochemical and geophysical data on ten best studied accumulations of gas hydrates were analyzed. The average specific (per unit area) amount of gas in studied gas hydrate accumulations has been obtained, ca. 6·108 m3/km2. The specific gas amount in gas hydrates within all potential gas hydrate water areas is ca. 5·106 m3/km2. Mapping yielded the total hydrate water area of about 35.7·106 km2, i.e., ca. 10% of the area of the Ocean. The total amount of gas, mainly methane, in the world’s submarine gas hydrate accumulations is estimated at ca. 2·1014 m3.

You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.