Methane in the Sevastopol coastal area, Black Sea

Abstract

Concentrations of dissolved methane in seawater and bottom sediments, as well as of methane emanating from gas seeps were measured at 18 stations including several small bays in the Sevastopol coastal area (Black Sea) during 2007–2008. Methane concentrations in surface waters ranged from 10 to 2,970 nmol l−1, and correlated well with values recorded for sediments. Methane concentrations in the water column were influenced by water depth, as well as by air and water temperatures. In the spring and summer of 2008, in situ CH4 saturation relative to air was in the range of 970–71,900%. Maximum saturation was in summer. CH4 fluxes to the atmosphere from the Sevastopol coastal area were estimated to vary from 190 to 1,550 μmol m−2 day−1. Gas bubbles escaping from the seepages contained about 57 vol% methane. Radiocarbon dating of the methane revealed an age not exceeding 150 years, implying a biogenic origin.