The quantification of greenhouse gas emissions from aquatic ecosystems requires knowledge about the spatial and temporal dynamics of free gas in sediments. Freezing the sediment in situ offers a promising method for obtaining gas‐bearing sediment samples, unaffected by changes in hydrostatic pressure and sample temperature during core withdrawal and subsequent analysis. This article presents a novel freeze coring technique to preserve the in situ stratigraphy and gas bubble characteristics. Nondestructive X‐ray computed tomography (CT) scans were used to identify and characterize coring disturbances of gravity and freeze cores associated with gassy sediment, as well as the effect of the freezing process on the gas bubble characteristics. Real‐time X‐ray CT scans were conducted to visualize the progression of the freezing process. Additional experiments were conducted to determine the freezing rate to assess the probability of sediment particle/bubble migration, and gas bubble nucleation at the phase transition of pore water to ice. The performance of the freeze coring technique was evaluated under field conditions in Olsberg and Urft Reservoir (Germany). The results demonstrate the capability of the freeze coring technique for the preservation of gas‐bearing sediments and the analysis of gas bubble distribution pattern in both reservoirs. Nevertheless, the obtained cores showed that nearly all gravity and freeze cores show some degree of coring disturbances.

Aquatic ecosystems with organic‐rich sediments are a globally significant source of methane to the atmosphere. In shallow waters, ebullition is often a dominant emission pathway of methane. Current knowledge on the processes controlling gas bubble formation and persistence in aquatic sediments is limited. An important prerequisite for accurate quantification of the structure and methane bubbles in sediment samples is to preserve the ambient in situ conditions during the withdrawal process and further analysis. A novel freeze corer has been developed that facilitates sampling of gas‐bearing soft sediments for X‐ray computer tomography. The sampler allows freezing sediment inside a double‐walled corer with a mixture of dry ice and ethanol. This corer has moderate costs and offers important advantages for gassy sediment sampling. Its simplicity and robustness allow to perform sampling from a small boat and the ability to characterize in situ sediment features. The applicability of this freeze coring technique for gas bubble quantification was validated during laboratory experiments aimed to investigate the effects of freezing on sediment gas content, bubble size distribution, and their geometry by comparing computer tomography scans of unfrozen vs. frozen cores. The performance of the corer was further evaluated during field conditions in Lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee, Israel). The results demonstrate the suitability of the freeze‐coring method for in situ preservation of gas‐bearing sediments. The sediment structure, however, showed some displacements of sediments layers and bubble abundance in some core regions. Future investigations are needed to address the nature of disturbances of the frozen sediment.

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