The marine geochemistry of methane

Scranton, Mary I.

doi:10.1575/1912/1616

Cited by 14 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 121 publications

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“…These measurements were precise to 0.8% over most of the concentrations encountered. The water-column methane profile agreed reasonably well with previous measurements on stored samples by Scranton (1977) and Atkinson and Richards (1967). A major goal of our 1988 work was to determine the role of the anaerobic oxidation of ARTICLE IN PRESS www.elsevier.com/locate/dsr2 0967-0645/$ -see front matter r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 79%

Stable carbon and hydrogen isotope measurements on Black Sea water-column methane

Reeburgh

Tyler

Carroll

2006

Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography

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We report measurements of d 13 C-CH 4 and d 2 H-CH 4 at a central station in the Black Sea. We considered the Black Sea as a ''biogeochemical bucket'' and the single station as a basin-wide integrator of processes affecting methane. Considering the rapid (3.6-18 yr) turnover of methane and the similarity of these stable isotope distributions to the methane concentration and oxidation rate profiles [Reeburgh, Ward, Whalen, Sandbeck, Kilpatrick, Kerkhof, 1991. Black Sea methane geochemistry. Deep-Sea Research 38, S1189-S1210], it appears that methane is being added approximately as fast as it is being oxidized. Methane can be thought of as ''running in place'' in the Black Sea water column.Recent reports of extensive vents on the northern side of the Black Sea suggest that they might be a methane source capable of effectively balancing the Black Sea methane budget. Unfortunately, we have limited information on basin-wide seep fluxes and cannot identify them with stable isotope measurements. Methane oxidation (and accompanying isotope fractionation) is so extensive that the water-column stable isotope measurements provide little information on methane sources. Future measurements of 14 C-CH 4 should permit partitioning Black Sea methane sources into fossil and recent components. r

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 79%

Stable carbon and hydrogen isotope measurements on Black Sea water-column methane

Reeburgh

Tyler

Carroll

2006

Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography

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“…Relationship with photoautotrophy-Methane production in association with phytoplankton has been observed in the laboratory cultures (Scranton 1977;Grossart et al 2011). In our field study, however, the ambient methane concentration did not appear to be a simple function of photoautotroph abundances, and we suspect that primary production perhaps would be a better predictor.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Paradox reconsidered: Methane oversaturation in well‐oxygenated lake waters

Tang

Mcginnis

Frindte

et al. 2014

Limnology & Oceanography

121

144

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The widely reported paradox of methane oversaturation in oxygenated water challenges the prevailing paradigm that microbial methanogenesis only occurs under anoxic conditions. Using a combination of field sampling, incubation experiments, and modeling, we show that the recurring mid-water methane peak in Lake Stechlin, northeast Germany, was not dependent on methane input from the littoral zone or bottom sediment or on the presence of known micro-anoxic zones. The methane peak repeatedly overlapped with oxygen oversaturation in the seasonal thermocline. Incubation experiments and isotope analysis indicated active methane production, which was likely linked to photosynthesis and/or nitrogen fixation within the oxygenated water, whereas lessening of methane oxidation by light allowed accumulation of methane in the oxygen-rich upper layer. Estimated methane efflux from the surface water was up to 5 mmol m 22 d 21 . Mid-water methane oversaturation was also observed in nine other lakes that collectively showed a strongly negative gradient of methane concentration within 0-20% dissolved oxygen (DO) in the bottom water, and a positive gradient within $ 20% DO in the upper water column. Further investigation into the responsible organisms and biochemical pathways will help improve our understanding of the global methane cycle.

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“…The oxic surface waters of the Black Sea are 2-to S-fold supersaturated relative to the atmosphere. Figure 4 compares our water column methane data with measurements reported by ATKINSON and RICHARDS (1967) and SCRANTON (1977) . The Atkinson and Richards measurements were among the first ocean water column methane measurements reported; they were made on stored samples and used a relatively low-sensitivity thermal conductivity detector.…”

Section: Water Column Methane Distributionmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…A limited number of water column methane measurements were performed by ATKINSON and RICHARDS (1967) . The measurements of SCRANTON (1977) are most recent and define the methane distribution in the Black Sea best. All of these previous measurements were performed in shore laboratories on stored samples.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Black Sea methane geochemistry

Reeburgh

Ward

Whalen

et al. 1991

Deep Sea Research Part A. Oceanographic Research Papers

236

225

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Abstract-Methane concentrations and oxidation rates were measured in the water column and sediments of the Black Sea at a central station during leg 5 of the 1988 U.S.-Turkey Black Sea Expedition. Methane concentrations were 10 nM in the upper 100 m, increased to 11,uM at 550 m, and were uniform to the bottom. Water column methane oxidation rates were measured using two independent radiotracer techniques: tracer level additions of 3H_C~and non-tracer level additions of 14C-CH4.The methods agree within a factor of two. Methane oxidation rates were low in the surface 100 m and increased to relatively uniform values of 0.6,uM y-I below 500 m.Sediment methane concentration and oxidation rate distributions showed that shelf and slope sediments were methane sources, while deep basin sediments were methane sinks.These measurements were used to construct a methane budget for Black Sea waters. Microbially mediated anaerobic methane oxidation is the dominant water column methane sink, followed by evasion to the atmosphere, abyssal plain sediment consumption and outflow at the Bosporus. The source of methane appears to be anoxic, high deposition rate shelf and slope sediments. The water column oxidation rate measurements suggest a short (5-20 year) residence time for methane in the Black Sea, indicating a higher geochemical activity than previously believed. The quantity of carbon participating in the Black Sea methane cycle is equivalent to about 0.5% of the primary production.

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The marine geochemistry of methane

Cited by 14 publications

References 121 publications

Stable carbon and hydrogen isotope measurements on Black Sea water-column methane

Stable carbon and hydrogen isotope measurements on Black Sea water-column methane

Paradox reconsidered: Methane oversaturation in well‐oxygenated lake waters

Black Sea methane geochemistry

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