Chemical and Biogeochemical Processes at Methane and Other Cold Seeps

Download or read book Chemical and Biogeochemical Processes at Methane and Other Cold Seeps written by Davide Oppo and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2023-10-31 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Methane is a strong climate-active gas, the concentration of which is rapidly increasing in the atmosphere. Vast methane reservoirs are hosted in seafloor sediments, both dissolved in pore fluids and trapped in gas hydrate. Cold seeps discharge significant amounts of this methane into the ocean. The rate of seabed methane discharge could be orders of magnitude higher than current estimates, creating considerable uncertainty. The extent of methane transfer from the seafloor to the water column and ultimately to the atmosphere is also uncertain. The seepage of methane and other hydrocarbons drives complex biogeochemical processes in marine sediments and the overlying water column. Seeps support chemosynthesis-based communities and impact the chemistry of the water column. Seeps may also play a critical role in ocean acidification and deoxygenation and can be geohazards, as well as a potential energy resource. Unraveling the complex and dynamic interactions and processes at marine seeps is crucial for our understanding of element cycling in the geo- and hydrosphere.