Methane in Red Sea brines

Faber, Eckhard; Botz, R.; Poggenburg, J.; Schmidt, Mark; Stoffers, Peter; Hartmann, Martin

doi:10.1016/s0146-6380(98)00155-7

Cited by 49 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Subsamples of sediments were transferred into the headspace vials for analysis of their isotopic compositions. The carbon and, for selected samples, the deuterium isotopic ratio of the methane was determined by continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry (Faber et al 1998). The carbon isotope composition of methane and carbon dioxide was analyzed on a ThermoFischer MAT253 isotope mass spectrometer coupled with a gas chromatograph (Agilent Technologies).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Active pockmarks in a large lake (Lake Constance, Germany): Effects on methane distribution and turnover in the sediment

Bussmann

Schlömer

Schlüter

et al. 2011

Limnology & Oceanography

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In the eastern part of Lake Constance, the second largest prealpine lake in Europe, about 500 pockmarks (morphological depressions on the lake floor) were recently discovered. The diameters of these pockmarks are as large as 16 m, and about 24% of them continuously release methane in the form of visible bubbles. The isotopic composition of the escaping gas indicated that the methane was of biogenic origin and was predominantly produced by the CO 2 -reduction pathway. In shallow-water pockmarks (9 m and 12 m), pore-water analysis revealed increased methane concentrations of . 1100 mmol L 21 in the sediment. Diffusive methane fluxes and oxidation rates within these shallow pockmarks were much higher than in sediments outside pockmarks. An estimated methane ebullition into the water column of about 40 L h 21 per pockmark showed that methane ebullition is by far the dominant pathway of methane release from these shallow pockmarks. Meiofauna abundance and organic carbon contents of the sediment were also higher in the shallow pockmarks, but there were no differences in macrofauna. In a deep pockmark (80 m), even though bubble release was observed, the sediment inside the pockmark had almost the same methane concentrations and isotopic compositions as a site outside of the pockmark. At both sites, the shallow and deep pockmark act mainly as sedimentation traps, the emanating gas has only minor influence on the methane inventory of the sediments and, therefore, gas bubbles enter the water column essentially unaffected.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Active pockmarks in a large lake (Lake Constance, Germany): Effects on methane distribution and turnover in the sediment

Bussmann

Schlömer

Schlüter

et al. 2011

Limnology & Oceanography

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“…Molecular-based evidences and geochemical data gathered in all brine pools studied to date document that sulfur cycling and aerobic oxidation of methane are the main energy-generating processes in the BSI habitat (Faber et al, 1998;Eder et al, 2002;Schmidt et al, 2003;Daffonchio et al, 2006;Yakimov et al, 2007;Borin et al, 2009;Joye et al, 2009;La Cono et al, 2011;Ferrer et al, 2012;Bougouffa et al, 2013). Although ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) typically predominate the deep-sea realm of the global ocean (Stahl and de la Torre, 2012; and references therein), data from some Mediterranean Sea brines suggest that Archaea are less predominant in the BSI environment (B10% of all prokaryotes; Daffonchio et al, 2006;Yakimov et al, 2007;Borin et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative genomics reveals adaptations of a halotolerant thaumarchaeon in the interfaces of brine pools in the Red Sea

et al. 2014

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The bottom of the Red Sea harbors over 25 deep hypersaline anoxic basins that are geochemically distinct and characterized by vertical gradients of extreme physicochemical conditions. Because of strong changes in density, particulate and microbial debris get entrapped in the brine-seawater interface (BSI), resulting in increased dissolved organic carbon, reduced dissolved oxygen toward the brines and enhanced microbial activities in the BSI. These features coupled with the deep-sea prevalence of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) in the global ocean make the BSI a suitable environment for studying the osmotic adaptations and ecology of these important players in the marine nitrogen cycle. Using phylogenomic-based approaches, we show that the local archaeal community of five different BSI habitats (with up to 18.2% salinity) is composed mostly of a single, highly abundant Nitrosopumilus-like phylotype that is phylogenetically distinct from the bathypelagic thaumarchaea; ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were absent. The composite genome of this novel Nitrosopumilus-like subpopulation (RSA3) co-assembled from multiple single-cell amplified genomes (SAGs) from one such BSI habitat further revealed that it shares B54% of its predicted genomic inventory with sequenced Nitrosopumilus species. RSA3 also carries several, albeit variable gene sets that further illuminate the phylogenetic diversity and metabolic plasticity of this genus. Specifically, it encodes for a putative proline-glutamate 'switch' with a potential role in osmotolerance and indirect impact on carbon and energy flows. Metagenomic fragment recruitment analyses against the composite RSA3 genome, Nitrosopumilus maritimus, and SAGs of mesopelagic thaumarchaea also reiterate the divergence of the BSI genotypes from other AOA.

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“…Observations from the Atlantis II Deep confirm the existence of 'fountains' occurring on the seafloor immediately above the magma chamber [13,14,15,16,17]. However, these fountains cannot continue to flow unless fluids are recharged into the system from the flanks of the rift.…”

Section: Basis For the Numerical Modelingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We modeled the Atlantis II Deep hydrothermal system by choosing a set of predicted boundary conditions and selecting the necessary physical and thermodynamic parameters as simple and realistic prerequisites, based on geophysical, drilling, and other published results, and from our geological model for the area [7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,19]. These were fed into the numerical 2D sedimentary basin model, combined with a numerical molecular model.…”

Section: Boundary Modeling Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Numerical Modeling of Supercritical ‘Out-Salting’ in the “Atlantis II Deep” (Red Sea) Hydrothermal System

Hovland¹,

Rueslåtten²,

Kutznetsova³

et al. 2007

TOGEOJ

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Supercritical water behaves close to that of a non-polar fluid and its ability to dissolve salt ions is very low. In rifting locations world-wide, where hot vents occur, it has been shown that seawater attains supercritical conditions. We therefore anticipate that circulation of seawater in hydrothermal systems passing through regions of the supercritical domain results in spontaneous precipitation of salt particles. Thus, the hot 'geysers' of saturated brines observed in the 'Atlantis II Deep' of the Red Sea could result from re-dissolution of salts accumulated in underground fracture systems. Here we report on an advanced numerical modeling study which demonstrates, for the first time, that there is a forced convection cell where salts precipitate and accumulate. These combined numerical thermodynamic simulations and basin modelling results also demonstrate that hot brines reflux back to surface immediately above the magma chamber located beneath the axis of the rift. Based on this study, we predict that hydrothermal 'out-salting' is the main cause of dense, warm brines accumulating in the central portion of the Red Sea. Furthermore, the results are relevant for understanding how large volumes of evaporites (salts) accumulate along rifted plate margins.

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Methane in Red Sea brines

Cited by 49 publications

References 32 publications

Active pockmarks in a large lake (Lake Constance, Germany): Effects on methane distribution and turnover in the sediment

Active pockmarks in a large lake (Lake Constance, Germany): Effects on methane distribution and turnover in the sediment

Comparative genomics reveals adaptations of a halotolerant thaumarchaeon in the interfaces of brine pools in the Red Sea

Numerical Modeling of Supercritical ‘Out-Salting’ in the “Atlantis II Deep” (Red Sea) Hydrothermal System

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