Abstract
A radiotracer method that measures rates of oxidation of methane to carbon dioxide has been applied to anoxic marine sediments. The results confirm the occurrence of anaerobic methane oxidation and agree with model predictions of a zone of intense anaerobic methane oxidation at the base of the sulfate-reducing zone.
Highlights
Anaerobic methane oxidation has been suggested as a process occurring in marine sediments [1,2,3]
Methane bubbles formed at depths below 17 cm in the cores; decreases in methane concentration at depth and the lack of a distinct low-CH4surface zone as shown in Fig. 1 probably reflect the effects of CH4ebullition and dissolution after core collection
The sulfate reduction rate measurements can be biased by rapid pyrite formation [28], which would produce lower rates
Summary
Anaerobic methane oxidation has been suggested as a process occurring in marine sediments [1,2,3]. The process appears to be a general feature of anoxic marine sediments and has been identified as a major sink for methane [4]. Panganiban et al [10] showed that enrichment cultures of organisms from Lake Mendota surface sediments were capable of oxidizing CH4 anaerobically These organisms required sulfate, acetate and methane for growth, assimilating acetate and oxidizing methane. This report describes "quasi-in-situ" measurements of anaerobic methane oxidation and sulfate reduction in Skan Bay sediments. These measurements provide more direct evidence that anaerobic methane oxidation does occur and give rate depth distributions and rates that agree with diagenetic models [1,2]
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