Emily O'Donnell Graduate Student Department of the Geophysical Sciences 5734 S. Ellis Ave. HGS 525 Chicago, IL 60637 USA E-mail: ebo@uchicago.edu Faculty Advisor: Bruce Buffett

I am interested in exploring how the carbon content of the Arctic Region changes, both through recent glaciations and in the immediate future. Specifically, I am exploring the release of methane through the dissociation of gas hydrate under the oceanic floor.

The Arctic's shallow continental shelves, which became exposed during the glacial period, have "relic" permafrost formed when subjected to the cold glacial air. In these locations, the PT regimes are sufficient for gas hydrate stability. Since resubmergence, the shelves are now exposed to warm seawater, which is currently melting the relic permafrost and reduces the hydrate stability zone, releasing methane to the sediments, water column, and atmosphere.

I am modeling (in matlab) this effect using both a regional model and a site-specific model that is compared to local well sites in the Beaufort Sea. As in situ measurements of the gas hydrate volume are rare for most of the Arctic, my current project is to find estimates of the volume by studying the overpressure of each site.