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Titel |
Methane oxidation in permeable sediments at hydrocarbon seeps in the Santa Barbara Channel, California |
VerfasserIn |
T. Treude, W. Ziebis |
Medientyp |
Artikel
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Sprache |
Englisch
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ISSN |
1726-4170
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Digitales Dokument |
URL |
Erschienen |
In: Biogeosciences ; 7, no. 10 ; Nr. 7, no. 10 (2010-10-13), S.3095-3108 |
Datensatznummer |
250005011
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Publikation (Nr.) |
copernicus.org/bg-7-3095-2010.pdf |
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Zusammenfassung |
A shallow-water area in the Santa Barbara Channel, California, known
collectively as the Coal Oil Point seep field, is one of the largest natural
submarine hydrocarbon emission areas in the world. Both gas and oil are
seeping constantly through a predominantly sandy seabed into the ocean. This
study focused on the methanotrophic activity within the surface sediments
(0–15 cm) of the permeable seabed in the so-called Brian Seep area at a
water depth of ∼10 m. Detailed investigations of the sediment
biogeochemistry of active gas vents indicated that it is driven by fast
advective transport of water through the sands, resulting in a deep
penetration of oxidants (oxygen, sulfate). Maxima of microbial methane
consumption were found at the sediment-water interface and in deeper layers
of the sediment, representing either aerobic or anaerobic oxidation of
methane, respectively. Methane consumption was relatively low (0.6–8.7 mmol m−2 d-1)
in comparison to gas hydrate-bearing fine-grained
sediments on the continental shelf. The low rates and the observation of
free gas migrating through permeable coastal sediments indicate that a
substantial proportion of methane can escape the microbial methane filter in
coastal sediments. |
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