Balochistan Earthquake May Have Triggered Methane Hydrate Release to Form Island

RiazHaq

Senator (1k+ posts)


Pakistan is known to have significant natural gas deposits trapped in the form of
methane hydrates in sedimentary rocks off the coast of Baluchistan. Tragic as yesterday's earthquake is in terms of loss of human life, it may also have triggered the release of substantial amount of gas which pushed up a new island in the Arabian sea. An team of scientists from the National Institute of Oceanography in Karachi will visit the site this week to investigate it.
Balochistan.jpg

In a study published online in the journal Nature Geoscience and reported recently by New York Times, European researchers said that an underwater quake off Pakistan nearly 70 years ago likely fractured seafloor sediments and created pathways for the release of methane gas which still continues to bubble up from below. The researchers say the phenomenon may be widespread enough that climate scientists should take it into account when estimating the amounts of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere.

Dr. David Fischer, the lead author of the study, told New York Times: “The quake broke open gas-hydrate sediments and the free gas underneath migrated to the surface.” The hydrates themselves did not dissolve. “They remain there,” he said.

While the existence of offshore methane hydrate deposits has long been known in may parts of the world, it's only recently that Japan demonstrated that natural gas can be produced commercially from such deposits.

Methane hydrate is also known by other names such as methane clathrate, hydromethane or methane ice. This last name relates to the fact that it is an ice-like crystalline substance, basically, frozen methane. Methane hydrate is a naturally occurring phenomenon that can be found in soft sediments in Arctic environments. It can be extensively found in the uppermost few hundred meters of slope and rise sediments in continental margins where the right temperature and pressure conditions are present.

Methane hydrates have been discovered on the Atlantic and Pacific margins of both North and South America, especially at equatorial latitudes. They are also found off the coast of Canada, Alaska, off the West coast of Norway, the Black Sea and off the coast of Pakistan. Smaller fields have been discovered off the coast of New Zealand and Antarctica, according to Oceaflores.

shale+oil+Pakistan.png
One cubic meters of hydrate contains 164 cubic meters of gas, once the gas is released, it expands to more than 150 times the original volume. As a consequence, methane hydrate reserves are thought to contain more than twice as much fuel energy as all currently known fossil fuel reserves.

Methane hydrate is not yet ready for prime time as a substantial source of energy. However, it could become commercially viable in the future for Pakistan if the Japanese succeed in their efforts. It could be another significant energy revolution similar to the shale revolution now unfolding in America. Pakistan is blessed with both-shale
and methane hydrate-in huge quantities enough to fuel the national economy for a long time.



http://www.riazhaq.com/2013/09/did-pakistan-quake-release-methane.html
 
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Believer12

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
ھماری قوم اسکو ایک مٹی کا پھاڑ سمجھ کر دیکھنے آرھے ھیں یہ نھیں معلوم کہ مٹی کا یہ پھاڑ سونے کا پھاڑ بن سکتا ھے۔ تھوڑی سی عقل اور تھوڑا سا اخلاص چاھیے میرے خیال میں اسکو کسی امریکن یا نارویجن کمپنی کے تھرو سرچ کیا جاے
 

Humi

Prime Minister (20k+ posts)
Re: گوادر میں جزیرے سے خزانہ نکل آیا

I didnt know our agencies worked so fast...ghanton mein hi khazana discover kar liya...:13:
 

falcons

Minister (2k+ posts)
Re: گوادر میں جزیرے سے خزانہ نکل آیا

I didnt know our agencies worked so fast...ghanton mein hi khazana discover kar liya...:13:
this type of incident happens because of crash tectonic plates or huge release of methane gas
 
Last edited:
Re: گوادر میں جزیرے سے خزانہ نکل آیا

i hope khazana hee ho, most likely yeh volcanic gasses ka outlet ho ga...:-)
 

Believer12

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Re: گوادر میں جزیرے سے خزانہ نکل آیا

کل ابھی سمندر سے نکلا ھے اور آج جوانوں نے اس پر جا کر دیا سلای بھی جلا کر چیک کر لیا ،،،،،،انکے پیر نھیں تلکے اس پر سے؟
 

Angry Bird

Councller (250+ posts)
Re: گوادر میں جزیرے سے خزانہ نکل آیا

o bhai bphlay wala khazana aap say smbhalta nahin hai
itnay khazanay ka "achaar" dalna hai?
 

barca

Prime Minister (20k+ posts)
Re: گوادر میں جزیرے سے خزانہ نکل آیا

اس سمندر میں اتنا خون گیا ہے اس کی اپنی طبیت خراب ہوگئی ہے
 

sabirmughal

Minister (2k+ posts)
Re: گوادر میں جزیرے سے خزانہ نکل آیا

Ishaq Dar to PM: Qawdar main jazera nikla hy..
PM: Allah ka karam hy allah ny tohfa diya hy

Ishaq dar: OLX main offer aie hy China ki tarraf sy
PM: Baaach daaaay (Jaldi)
 

barca

Prime Minister (20k+ posts)
Re: گوادر میں جزیرے سے خزانہ نکل آیا

پہلے سمندر سے جزیرہ نکلا پھر جزیرے سے خزانہ نکلا
اب خزانے سے کیا نکلتا ہے میڈیا کے ہاتھ میں ہے
 

sadani

Minister (2k+ posts)
Re: Name The New Island- What is your Suggestion?

Bugti Island


As a tribute to Nawab Bugti....
 

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