Profiles of sediment echo soundings during three expeditions (M72/3, M84/2, and MSM15/2) in the Black Sea with links to Parasound data files

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Main Authors: Römer, Miriam, Sahling, Heiko, Pape, Thomas, Bahr, André, Feseker, Tomas, Wintersteller, Paul, Bohrmann, Gerhard
Format: Dataset Open Access
Language:en
Published: PANGAEA 2012
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author Römer, Miriam
Sahling, Heiko
Pape, Thomas
Bahr, André
Feseker, Tomas
Wintersteller, Paul
Bohrmann, Gerhard
author_facet Römer, Miriam
Sahling, Heiko
Pape, Thomas
Bahr, André
Feseker, Tomas
Wintersteller, Paul
Bohrmann, Gerhard
collection Datos científicos de ciencias marinas y ambientales
contents We investigated gas bubble emissions at the Don-Kuban paleo-fan in the northeastern Black Sea regarding their geological setting, quantities as well as spatial and temporal variabilities during three ship expeditions between 2007 and 2011. About 600 bubble-induced hydroacoustic anomalies in the water column (flares) originating from the seafloor above the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) at ~700 m water depth were found. At about 890 m water depth a hydrocarbon seep area named "Kerch seep area" was newly discovered within the GHSZ. We propose locally domed sediments ('mounds') discovered during ultra-high resolution bathymetric mapping with an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to result from gas hydrate accumulation at shallow depths. In situ measurements indicated spatially limited temperature elevations in the shallow sediment likely induced by upward fluid flow which may confine the local GHSZ to a few meters below the seafloor. As a result, gas bubbles are suspected to migrate into near-surface sediments and to escape the seafloor through small-scale faults. Hydroacoustic surveys revealed that several flares originated from a seafloor area of about 1 km**2 in size. The highest flare disappeared in about 350 m water depth, suggesting that the released methane remains in the water column. A methane flux estimate, combining data from visual quantifications during dives with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) with results from ship-based hydroacoustic surveys and gas analysis revealed that between 2 and 87 x 10**6 mol CH4 yr-1 escaped into the water column above the Kerch seep area. Our results show that the finding of the Kerch seep area represents a so far underestimated type of hydrocarbon seep, which has to be considered in methane budget calculations.
format Dataset Open Access
id pangaea_https___doi_org_10_1594_PANGAEA_786593
institution PANGAEA
language en
publishDate 2012
publisher PANGAEA
record_format pangaea
spellingShingle Profiles of sediment echo soundings during three expeditions (M72/3, M84/2, and MSM15/2) in the Black Sea with links to Parasound data files
Römer, Miriam
Sahling, Heiko
Pape, Thomas
Bahr, André
Feseker, Tomas
Wintersteller, Paul
Bohrmann, Gerhard
Center for Marine Environmental Sciences; MARUM
We investigated gas bubble emissions at the Don-Kuban paleo-fan in the northeastern Black Sea regarding their geological setting, quantities as well as spatial and temporal variabilities during three ship expeditions between 2007 and 2011. About 600 bubble-induced hydroacoustic anomalies in the water column (flares) originating from the seafloor above the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) at ~700 m water depth were found. At about 890 m water depth a hydrocarbon seep area named "Kerch seep area" was newly discovered within the GHSZ. We propose locally domed sediments ('mounds') discovered during ultra-high resolution bathymetric mapping with an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to result from gas hydrate accumulation at shallow depths. In situ measurements indicated spatially limited temperature elevations in the shallow sediment likely induced by upward fluid flow which may confine the local GHSZ to a few meters below the seafloor. As a result, gas bubbles are suspected to migrate into near-surface sediments and to escape the seafloor through small-scale faults. Hydroacoustic surveys revealed that several flares originated from a seafloor area of about 1 km**2 in size. The highest flare disappeared in about 350 m water depth, suggesting that the released methane remains in the water column. A methane flux estimate, combining data from visual quantifications during dives with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) with results from ship-based hydroacoustic surveys and gas analysis revealed that between 2 and 87 x 10**6 mol CH4 yr-1 escaped into the water column above the Kerch seep area. Our results show that the finding of the Kerch seep area represents a so far underestimated type of hydrocarbon seep, which has to be considered in methane budget calculations.
title Profiles of sediment echo soundings during three expeditions (M72/3, M84/2, and MSM15/2) in the Black Sea with links to Parasound data files
topic Center for Marine Environmental Sciences; MARUM
url https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.786593