Submarine gas hydrate is a hazard to drilling, a potential hydrocarbon resource, and has been implicated as a factor in both submarine slope stability and climate change. Bulk in situ electrical resistivities evaluated from electromagnetic surveys have the potential to provide an estimate of the total hydrate volume fraction more directly than by using seismic and well log data. We conducted a marine controlled‐source electromagnetic sounding at Hydrate Ridge, Oregon, USA, in August, 2004. Electromagnetic fields transmitted by a deep‐towed horizontal electric dipole source were measured by a linear array of 25 seafloor electromagnetic receivers, positioned 600 m apart to produce a dense coverage in the recorded electric field data. Results are presented in simple form by apparent resistivity pseudosections, which produce an approximate image of lateral resistivity variations across the study region. Resistivity values are consistent with those from well logs collected in the area and pseudosection features are correlated with seismic reflectors. Archie's Law, based on pseudosection apparent resistivities, predicts volumetric hydrate concentrations vary from 0–30% across the ridge.

We acquired coincident marine controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM), high‐resolution seismic reflection and ocean‐bottom seismometer (OBS) data over an active pockmark in the crest of the southern part of the Vestnesa Ridge, to estimate fluid composition within an underlying fluid‐migration chimney. Synthetic model studies suggest resistivity obtained from CSEM data can resolve gas or hydrate saturation greater than 5% within the chimney. Acoustic chimneys imaged by seismic reflection data beneath the pockmark and on the ridge flanks were found to be associated with high‐resistivity anomalies (+2–4 Ωm). High‐velocity anomalies (+0.3 km/s), within the gas‐hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) and low‐velocity anomalies (−0.2 km/s) underlying the GHSZ, were also observed. Joint analysis of the resistivity and velocity anomaly indicates pore saturation of up to 52% hydrate with 28% free gas, or up to 73% hydrate with 4% free gas, within the chimney beneath the pockmark assuming a nonuniform and uniform fluid distribution, respectively. Similarly, we estimate up to 30% hydrate with 4% free gas or 30% hydrate with 2% free gas within the pore space of the GHSZ outside the central chimney assuming a nonuniform and uniform fluid distribution, respectively. High levels of free‐gas saturation in the top part of the chimney are consistent with episodic gas venting from the pockmark.

We have developed a three‐axis electric field receiver designed to be towed behind a marine electromagnetic transmitter for the purpose of mapping the electrical resistivity in the upper 1000 m of seafloor geology. By careful adjustment of buoyancy and the use of real‐time monitoring of depth and altitude, we are able to deep‐tow multiple receivers on arrays up to 1200 m long within 50 m of the seafloor, thereby obtaining good coupling to geology. The rigid body of the receiver is designed to reduce noise associated with lateral motion of flexible antennas during towing, and allows the measurement of the vertical electric field component, which modeling shows to be particularly sensitive to near‐seafloor resistivity variations. The positions and orientations of the receivers are continuously measured, and realistic estimates of positioning errors can be used to build an error model for the data. During a test in the San Diego Trough, offshore California, inversions of the data were able to fit amplitude and phase of horizontal electric fields at three frequencies on three receivers to about 1% in amplitude and 1° in phase and vertical fields to about 5% in amplitude and 5° in phase. The geological target of the tests was a known cold seep and methane vent in 1000 m water depth, which inversions show to be associated with a 1 km wide resistor at a depth between 50 and 150 m below seafloor. Given the high resistivity (30 Ωm) and position within the gas hydrate stability field, we interpret this to be massive methane hydrate.