Do microcrystalline dolomite inclusions provide fossil evidence for the onset of gas hydrate formation?: Isotopic and biogeochemical investigations of methane hydrate in Joetsu Basin, Sea of Japan.

2019 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K05712
• Research Institution: Meiji University
• Principal Investigator: Snyder Glen 明治大学, 研究・知財戦略機構(駿河台), 研究推進員 (90751777)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 鈴木 庸平 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科(理学部), 准教授 (00359168) ; 松本 良 明治大学, 研究・知財戦略機構(駿河台), 特任教授 (40011762) ; 佐野 有司 東京大学, 大気海洋研究所, 教授 (50162524) ; 戸丸 仁 千葉大学, 大学院理学研究院, 准教授 (80588244)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: microdolomite / Bacteriodetes / gas hydrate / Sea of Japan / Joetsu Basin

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

The presence of microbial life within the microdolomite samples was confirmed through mRNA analyses. We found that Bacteriodetes which break down oils are the predominant form of life inside of the microdolomites. This is quite different from anaerobic methane oxidizing Archea and sulfate reducing bacteria which have been found to be predominant in the outer surfaces of gas hydrate in shallow sediments, and our work shows that the environment which hosts within the hydrate is quite distinct, presumably due to the absence of sulfate and the high chloride content within methane hydrate inclusions. We also carried out nanoSIMS analyses to characterize the organic matter inside of the microdolomites which will be the focus of ongoing research.

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] School of Geosciences/University of Aberdeen/Scotland U.K. (Stephen Bowden)(英国)
  • Country Name: UNITED KINGDOM
  • Counterpart Institution: School of Geosciences/University of Aberdeen/Scotland U.K. (Stephen Bowden)
• [Journal Article] Magmatic fluids play a role in the development of active gas chimneys and massive gas hydrates in the Japan Sea. (2020)
  • Author(s): Snyder, G. T. , Sano, Y., Takahata, N., Matsumoto, R., Kakizaki, Y. and Tomaru, H.,
  • Journal Title: Chemical Geology Volume: 535 Pages: 119462
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2020.119462
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Evidence in the Japan Sea of microdolomite mineralization within gas hydrate microbiomes (2020)
  • Author(s): Snyder, G.T., Matsumoto, R., Suzuki, Y., Kouduka, M., Kakizaki, Y., Zhang, N., Tomaru,H., Sano, Y.,, Takahata, N., Tanaka, K., Bowden, S.A., Imajo, T.
  • Journal Title: Scientific Reports Volume: 10 Pages: 1-13
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-58723-y
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Clumped isotope signatures of methane-derived authigenic carbonate presenting equilibrium values of their formation temperatures (2019)
  • Author(s): Zhang, N., Lin, M., Snyder, G.T., Kakizaki, Y., Yamada, K., Yoshida, N., Matsumoto, R.
  • Journal Title: Earth and Planetary Science Letters Volume: 512 Pages: 207-213
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2019.02.005
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Microdolmite grains in Japan Sea Gas Hydrate: What do they tell us about present and past hydrate growth? (2019)
  • Author(s): G.Snyder, R.Matsumoto, Y. Kakizaki, Y. Suzuki, N.Zhang, Y.Sano, N. Takahata, K. Tanaka, T. Imajo, S. Bowden, H. Tomaru
  • Organizer: Pacific Conference of Marine Science and Technology (PACON), Vladivostok, Russia
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Microdolomites are not MDACs: microbially-derived carbon source for microcrystalline dolomite found within massive gas hydrates and implications for the shallow marine carbon cycle (2019)
  • Author(s): G.Snyder, R.Matsumoto, Y. Kakizaki, Y. Suzuki, N.Zhang, Y.Sano, N. Takahata, K. Tanaka, T. Imajo, S. Bowden, H. Tomaru
  • Organizer: Japan Geoscience Union Meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Remarks] ガスハイドレートの微小空隙中の微生物活動 によるマイクロドロマイトの生成
  • URL: https://www.meiji.ac.jp/koho/press/6t5h7p000032lu9c.html