THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPECIAL GEOLOGICAL BODIES AND HYDRATE FORMATION AT CONTINENTAL MARGIN

Gas hydrates exist at both passive and active continental margins, and are mainly associated with some sort of special geological bodies or structures, such as accretionary wedges, diapirs, faults-folds and slump masses etc. Accretionary wedges on active continental margin are thick and faults and folds are conducive to fluid migration, accumulation and the formation of hydrate accumulation bodies. Plastic sediment flows and mud volcanic activities on passive continental margin often bring about faults-folds, diapirs and submarine landslides and other kinds of specific bodies on the sea surface, providing ideal places for the accumulation of gas hydrates.