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ARTICLE

An integrated approach to unravel gas hydrates in the complex permafrost of the Tso Co area, Qiangtang Basin, China

Shuai Zhang1,2 ,  Guanzhong Shi3,4* ,  Jianguo Yin1 ,  Shouji Pang1 ,  Youhai Zhu1 ,  Pingkang Wang5
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1 Oil and Gas Survey, China Geological Survey, Beijing, China
2 State Key Laboratory of Continental Shale Oil, Beijing, China
3 School of Marine Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
4 State Key Laboratory of Marine Resources Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
5 China Geological Survey, Beijing, China
JSE, 026020002 https://doi.org/10.36922/JSE026020002
Received: 8 January 2026 | Revised: 8 April 2026 | Accepted: 8 April 2026 | Published online: 15 June 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Gas hydrate accumulations in high-altitude permafrost settings remain notoriously difficult to characterize seismically, yet they hold significant resource potential This study addresses key technical challenges in seismic exploration for gas hydrates in the permafrost of the Tso Co area, Qiangtang Basin, Tibetan Plateau, including low signal-to-noise ratio, complex static corrections, and difficult structural imaging. An integrated acquisition, processing, and interpretation workflow was developed to provide a high-precision seismic detection system suited to plateau permafrost conditions. A wide-line high-density geometry, combined with a low-frequency vibrator source with a sweep frequency of 1.5–96 Hz and point-receiver technology, enhanced low-frequency penetration and raw-data fidelity. Data processing used pseudo-three-dimensional wide-line tomographic static correction and global-optimization residual static correction to resolve high-frequency static distortions through iterative refinement. A multi-domain, stepwise, amplitude-preserving denoising workflow effectively suppressed high-energy noise, including surface waves and linear interference. Refined velocity modeling based on the Dip Moveout velocity field and finite-difference time migration achieved accurate positioning of complex structures. High-quality seismic profiles reveal alternating depression-uplift structural frameworks and major fault systems. The base of the permafrost layer shows a low-frequency, high-amplitude reflection of 10–35 Hz, with varying thickness (30–140 m). Ultra-low-frequency (5 Hz) relative impedance highlights permafrost distribution and indicates hydrate potential zones concentrated along faults, demonstrating structural control on gas migration. Low-frequency amplitude anomalies provide a reliable regional indicator for hydrate exploration.

Keywords
Gas hydrates
Qiangtang Basin
Permafrost
Low-frequency vibroseis source
Low-frequency vibrator
Funding
This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant Nos. 2025ZD1400700 and 2025ZD1400704) and the Guangdong Major Project of Basic and Applied Basic Research (Grant No. 2020B0301030003).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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Journal of Seismic Exploration, Electronic ISSN: 0963-0651 Print ISSN: 0963-0651, Published by AccScience Publishing
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