Title: Environmental controls of methane production in Holocene basins in eastern Canada
Abstract: Rapid rates of sedimentation from 54 to 134 cm/1000 yr are typical of the Holocene basins in St. Margaret's Bay and the Grand Manan Basin, Nova Scotia. The water column is well oxygenated but, because of the rapid rate of sedimentation, anoxic conditions developed and enhanced the preservation of organic matter and its fermentative degradation; also the concentrations of sulfide increased and soluble sulfates were rapidly depleted. A direct result of this has been the production of methane in amounts exceeding 22,000 ppm. In contrast, nearby cores with rates of sedimentation of less than 20 cm/1000 yr have only 30–40 ppm methane. High rates of sedimentation and the ensuing anaerobic conditions appear to be the principal factors for the genesis and preservation of methane. The δ 13C values and the n-alkane distribution show that there is more terrestrial organic matter in the Grand Manan Basin than in St. Margaret's Bay. This could account for the high concentrations of methane in the Grand Manan cores despite the low concentrations of organic carbon.
Publication Year: 1977
Publication Date: 1977-11-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 20
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