Crimea

(Contribution of high-intensity gas seeps in the Black Sea to methane emission to the atmosphere) is an EC and SBF (Switzerland) funded fifth framework project (Contract No. EVK2-2001-00322).

Crimea Website

One of the most important natural greenhouse gases is methane. It is 25 times more efficient than carbon dioxide at trapping heat but has a shorter residence time in the atmosphere (10 years compared to a “lifetime” of around 100 years for CO2). Methane’s sudden release in large quantities to the atmosphere may cause a sudden warming of the global climate and trigger rapid global climate change as has been revealed by ice core investigations.

The CRIMEA project focuses on the transfer of methane from submarine high-intensity methane seeps and outbursts located at the sea floor of the Black Sea through the water column into the atmosphere. Methane outbursts at the sea floor occur in various locations in the Black Sea and generate large ascending methane plumes in the seawater. In some cases these methane plumes reach the sea surface and emit methane directly into the atmosphere. The physical and chemical processes connected to the methane outburst and the ascent of methane through the water column will be quantified and the results will be compiled in a geographically-related database, available in the Internet.

The Biogeochemistry group is involved in the characterization of the microbial community linked to the methane seeps in the sediments as well as in the water column. We use 3H labeled methane to determine methane oxidation rates, 13C isotopes of methane to follow up the oxidation pathways, determine microbial communities with FISH and DGGE methods, and measure concentration and isotopic composition of biomarkers.

Funding

• European Union (EU),
• State Secretariat for Education and Research SER

Publications

• Holzner, C.P., Mc Ginnis, D.F., Schubert, C.J., Kipfer, R. and Imboden, D.M. (2008) Noble gas anomalies related to high-intensity methane gas seeps in the Black Sea.  Earth and Planetary Science Letter, Vol. 265. 396–409.
• Schubert, C.J.,  Durisch-Kaiser, E., Holzner, C.P., Klauser, L., Wehrli, B., Schmale, O., Greinert, J., McGinnis, D., De Batist, M., and Kipfer, R. (2006) Methanotrophic microbial communities associated with bubble plumes above gas seeps in the Black Sea. Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems, 7, Q04002, doi:10.1029/ 2005GC001049.
• Durisch-Kaiser, E., Klauser, L., Wehrli, B., Schubert, C.J. (2005) Evidence for intense archael and bacterial methanotrophic acitivity in the Black Sea water column. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Vol. 71. 8099-8106.