Fractionation of the noble gases should occur during formation of a Structure I gas hydrate from water and CH4 such that CH4 hydrate is greatly enriched in Xenon. Noble gas concentrations and fractionation factors (F[4He], F[22Ne], F[86Kr], and F[132Xe] as well as R/Ra) were determined for eight gas hydrate specimens collected on Leg 164 to evaluate this theoretical possibility and to assess whether sufficient quantities of Xe are hosted in oceanic CH4 hydrate to account for Xe "missing" from the atmosphere. The simplest explanation for our results is that samples contain mixtures of air and two end-member gases. One of the end-member gases is depleted in Ne, but significantly enriched in Kr and Xe, as anticipated if the source of this gas involves fractionation during Structure I gas hydrate formation. However, although oceanic CH4 hydrate may be greatly enriched in Xe, simple mass balance calculations indicate that oceanic CH4 hydrate probably represents only a minor reservoir of terrestrial Xe. Noble gas analyses may play an important role in understanding the dynamics of gas hydrate reservoirs, but significantly more work is needed than presented here.

Noble gas data is presented in terms of F(i) values. An F(i) value is the fractionation factor relative to atmospheric composition, and is defined as: F(i) = [(i/36Ar)sample]/[(i/36Ar)air] where (i) is the concentration of an isotope of a noble gas.

Supplement to: Dickens, Gerald Roy; Kennedy, B Mack (2000): Noble gases in methane hydrate from the Blake Ridge. In: Paull, CK; Matsumoto, R; Wallace, PJ; Dillon, WP (eds.) Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results, College Station, TX (Ocean Drilling Program), 164, 1-6