Gas hydrates in Lake Baikal

Researchers have identified two distinct types of gas hydrates—biogenic methane and thermogenic ethane—in the sediments of Lake Baikal, marking it as the only freshwater body where such formations occur. The study reveals a novel mechanism for mud volcano formation in this region, driven by tectonic activity and warm fluid influx that destabilizes gas hydrates. A 2018 survey mapped 54 hydrate-bearing structures, including mud volcanoes, mounds, seeps, and pockmarks, distributed along fault zones and sedimentation boundaries. These findings highlight the interplay between geological processes and carbonaceous formations in shaping Lake Baikal's subsurface landscape.

Khlystov, O. M., Khabuev, A. V., Minami, H., Hachikubo, A., Krylov, A. A.,. (2018). Gas hydrates in Lake Baikal. Limnology and Freshwater Biology, (1), 66–70. https://doi.org/10.31951/2658-3518-2018-a-1-66