Seismic monitoring of sub-seafloor fluid processes in the Haima cold seep area using an Ocean Bottom Seismometer (OBS)

The use of ocean bottom seismometers provides an effective means of studying the process and the dynamic of cold seeps by continuously recording micro-events produced by sub-seafloor fluid migration.We deployed a four-component Ocean Bottom Seismometer(OBS)at an active site of the Haima cold seep from 6 November to 19 November in 2021.Here,we present the results of this short-term OBS monitoring.We first examine the OBS record manually to distinguish(by their distinctive seismographic signatures)four types of events:shipping noises,vibrations from our remotely operated vehicle(ROV)operations,local earthquakes,and short duration events(SDEs).Only the SDEs are further discussed in this work.Such SDEs are similar to those observed in other sea areas and are interpreted to be correlated with sub-seafloor fluid migration.In the OBS data collected during the 14-day monitoring period.We identify five SDEs.Compared to the SDE occurrence rate observed in other cold seep regions,five events is rather low,from which it could be inferred that fluid migration,and subsequent gas seepage,is not very active at the Haima site.This conclusion agrees with multi-beam and chemical observations at that site.Our observations thus provide further constraint on the seepage activity in this location.This is the first time that cold seep-related SDEs have been identified in the South China Sea,expanding the list of sea areas where SDEs are now linked to cold seep fluid migration.

Mg/Ca,Ba/Ca,and S/Ca ratios as environmental and growth proxies for bivalve shells from the Haima cold seep,South China Sea

Bivalve shell fossils,cemented by authigenic carbonates,are widely spread in the Haima cold seep,Qiongdongnan Basin of the South China Sea(SCS).In this study,we examined an element profile of Gigantidas platifrons in the Haima cold seeps at a water depth of 1381 m.Based on the scanning electron microscope(SEM)analyses,the prismatic layer and nacreous layer were identified,which are characterized by prismatic structure and stratified structure,respectively.In addition,the profile can be subdivided into two parts:altered and unaltered zones.Laser inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(LA-ICP-MS)mapping shows that the element concentrations of the altered zones were influenced by the authigenic carbonate rocks,whereas the element concentrations of unaltered zones remain stable.In-situ X-ray diffraction(XRD)analyses show that the mineral constituent of the prismatic layer is mainly composed of aragonite.Along with the growth profile,Mg/Ca ratios of unaltered zones have minor variations,ranging 0.72-0.97 mmol/mol(mean=0.87 mmol/mol),with estimated temperatures of 3.8-4.1℃,indicating that the temperature of the surrounding seawater remains constant and agree with the measured data of 3.9℃which was conducted by a conductivity-temperature-depth system(CTD).The minor variations of Ba/Ca ratios(0.01-0.06 mmol/mol;mean=0.04 mmol/mol)indicate a relatively stabilized salinity of the surrounding seawater.S/Ca ratios show large variations of 0.04-4.15 mmol/mol(mean=1.37 mmol/mol).S/Ca ratios have regular variations which generally correspond to the variations of the Mg/Ca ratios,highlighting that the S/Ca ratios of bivalve shells show the potential to reflect the growth rate of the Gigantides.However,further studies should be carried out on the understanding of the links between the S/Ca ratios and seepage intensity of cold-seep fluids.

Microbial diversity in cold seep sediments from the northern South China Sea

South China Sea （SCS） is the largest Western Pacific marginal sea. However, microbial studies have never been performed in the cold seep sediments in the SCS. In 2004, ＂SONNE＂ 177 cruise found two cold seep areas with different water depth in the northern SCS. Haiyang 4 area, where the water depth is around 3000 m, has already been confirmed for active seeping on the seafloor, such as microbial mats, authigenic carbonate crusts and bivalves. We investigated microbial abundance and diver- sity in a 5.55-m sediment core collected from this cold seep area. An integrated approach was employed including geochemistry and 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analyses. Here, we show that microbial abun- dance and diversity along with geochemistry profiles of the sediment core revealed a coupled reaction between sulphate reduction and methane oxidation. Acridine orange direct count results showed that microbial abundance ranges from 105 to 106 cells/g sediment （wet weight）. The depth-related variation of the abundance showed the same trend as the methane concentration profile. Phylogenetic analysis indicated the presence of sulphate-reducing bacteria and anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea. The diver- sity was much higher at the surface, but decreased sharply with depth in response to changes in the geochemical conditions of the sediments, such as methane, sulphate concentration and total organic carbon. Marine Benthic Group B, Chloroflexi and JS1 were predominant phylotypes of the archaeal and bacterial libraries, respectively.

Multi-beam and seismic investigations of the active Haima cold seeps,northwestern South China Sea

To confirm the seabed fluid flow at the Haima cold seeps,an integrated study of multi-beam and seismic data reveals the morphology and fate of four bubble plumes and investigates the detailed subsurface structure of the active seepage area.The shapes of bubble plumes are not constant and influenced by the northeastward bottom currents,but the water depth where these bubble plumes disappear(630–650 m below the sea level)(mbsl)is very close to the upper limit of the gas hydrate stability zone in the water column(620 m below the sea level),as calculated from the CTD data within the study area,supporting the“hydrate skin”hypothesis.Gas chimneys directly below the bottom simulating reflectors,found at most sites,are speculated as essential pathways for both thermogenic gas and biogenic gas migrating from deep formations to the gas hydrate stability zone.The fracture network on the top of the basement uplift may be heavily gas-charged,which accounts for the chimney with several kilometers in diameter(beneath Plumes B and C).The much smaller gas chimney(beneath Plume D)may stem from gas saturated localized strong permeability zone.High-resolution seismic profiles reveal pipe-like structures,characterized by stacked localized amplitude anomalies,just beneath all the plumes,which act as the fluid conduits conveying gas from the gas hydrate-bearing sediments to the seafloor,feeding the gas plumes.The differences between these pipe-like structures indicate the dynamic process of gas seepage,which may be controlled by the build-up and dissipation of pore pressure.The 3D seismic data show high saturated gas hydrates with high RMS amplitude tend to cluster on the periphery of the gas chimney.Understanding the fluid migration and hydrate accumulation pattern of the Haima cold seeps can aid in the further exploration and study on the dynamic gas hydrate system in the South China Sea.

Decomposition Temperature of Cold Seep Carbonate and its Relationship with Delta Carbonate

Delta carbonate （Delta C, AC） method is a commonly- used surface geochemical exploration method for petroleum surveys. Delta C holds that light hydrocarbon gases leak into near-surface soils or sediments from underlying petroleum accumulations, then partly oxidized to CO2, resulting in a special carbonate precipitation, which is termed as Delta carbonate （△C）.

Cold Seeps Associated with Structured Benthic Communities: More Accurate Identification and Evaluation Using a New Multibeam Survey Methodology in the Offshore Southern Colombian Caribbean

A new methodology was developed to identify cold seeps and structured benthic communities associated, which was applied for the first time in the offshore southern Colombian Caribbean. The integral method consists on a new processing of double-coverage (200%) high-resolution backscatter data combined with bathymetric information;validation was done correlating identified gas plumes, seabed cores and drift camera surveys. Results showed that the elimination of artefacts and the increased signal of the backscatter data allowed accurate plotting of seep boundaries and categorization of seeps into an activity catalogue, with more than 200 seeps identified. Most seeps have chemosynthetic communities associated and data analysis from a previous survey showed two ridges with hard ground as the only possible areas for the development the of deep- water corals. Seep results were compared with designated Areas of Significance for Biodiversity (ASB) identifying seeps both within and outside the ASBs, and showing that the presence of seeps and chemosynthetic communities associated were driven more by geological processes than for big-scale seabed morphology, since they were found in both plains and ridges. This methodology allows an accurate seabed map of structured benthic communities, which may work as a precise geo-hazard map to ensure the oil & gas industry can avoid these areas of shallow gas for further developments, and as a map of deep-water structured benthic communities with environmental significance.

Discovery of prenylated indole alkaloid and natural xanthone from cold-seep sediment derived fungus Talaromyces funiculosus SD-523

A new prenylated indole alkaloid 11,17-epi-mangrovamide A(1),a new natural occurring product,1,7-dihydroxy-6-methyl-8-hydroxymethyl-xanthone(2),two known alkaloids,mangrovamide A(3)and mangrovamide G(4),and four known polyketide derivatives(5–8)were isolated and identified from the cold-seep sediment derived fungal strain Talaromyces funiculosus SD-523.Their structures were elucidated by combination of nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR),high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy(HRESIMS),quantum chemical electronic circular dichroism(ECD),and DP4+probability analysis as well as by comparison of the data with literature reports.All isolated compounds were tested for antibacterial activities.

Abundance and diversity of candidate division JSl- and Chloroflexi-related bacteria in cold seep sediments of the northern South China Sea

Candidate division JS 1-and Chloroflexi-related bacteria are ubiquitous in various deep marine sediments worldwide, yet almost nothing is known about their abundance and diversity in cold seep sediments. Here, we investigated the abundance and diversity of JS1- and Chloroflexi-related bacteria in a cold seep marine sediment core collected from the northern South China Sea （SCS） with the employment of quantitative polymerase chain reaction （qPCR） and 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analyses. The qPCR results showed that 16S rRNA gene copies per gram of sediments for the total bacteria and JS 1- and Chloroflexi-related bacteria were at magnitudes of 108 and 106, respectively. The relative abundance of JS 1- and Chloroflexi-related 16S rRNA genes to that of total bacteria was 0.07%-8.78% throughout the core. Phyloge- netic analyses showed that the JS-1 related clone sequences were dominant throughout the core. Our study provided insights into abundance and diversity of JS 1- and Chloroflexi-related bacteria in the northern SCS cold seep sediments.

Acoustic characteristics of cold-seep methane bubble behavior in the water column and its potential environmental impact

The amount of methane leaked from deep sea cold seeps is enormous and potentially affects the global warming,ocean acidification and global carbon cycle.It is of great significance to study the methane bubble movement and dissolution process in the water column and its output to the atmosphere.Methane bubbles produce strong acoustic impedance in water bodies,and bubble strings released from deep sea cold seeps are called"gas flares"which expressed as flame-like strong backscatter in the water column.We characterized the morphology and movement of methane bubbles released into the water using multibeam water column data at two cold seeps.The result shows that methane at site I reached 920 m water depth without passing through the top of the gas hydrate stability zone(GHSZ,850 m),while methane bubbles at site II passed through the top of the GHSZ(597 m)and entered the non-GHSZ(above 550 m).By applying two methods on the multibeam data,the bubble rising velocity in the water column at sites I and II were estimated to be 9.6 cm/s and 24 cm/s,respectively.Bubble velocity is positively associated with water depth which is inferred to be resulted from decrease of bubble size during methane ascending in the water.Combined with numerical simulation,we concluded that formation of gas hydrate shells plays an important role in helping methane bubbles entering the upper water bodies,while other factors,including water depth,bubble velocity,initial kinetic energy and bubble size,also influence the bubble residence time in the water and the possibility of methane entering the atmosphere.We estimate that methane gas flux at these two sites is 0.4×10~6–87.6×10~6 mol/a which is extremely small compared to the total amount of methane in the ocean body,however,methane leakage might exert significant impact on the ocean acidification considering the widespread distributed cold seeps.In addition,although methane entering the atmosphere is not observed,further research is still needed to understand its potential impact on increasing methane concentration in the surface seawater and gas-water interface methane exchange rate,which consequently increase the greenhouse effect.

Geochemical characteristics of cold-seep carbonates in Shenhu area,South China Sea

Cold seeps spread worldwide along the continental margins,which are closely related to the exploration of gas hydrates.Cold-seep carbonates have been reported to record the nature of seepage,including fluid source,sedimentary environment,and variation of seepage activity.We investigated the morphology,mineralogy,element compositions,and carbon and oxygen isotopes of 15 cold-seep carbonates collected from the Shenhu area,and compared them with 2 carbonates from the Haima cold seep,the South China Sea(SCS),to promote our knowledge of cold-seep system in SCS.Most of the Shenhu carbonates exhibit crust morphology,and some are in the form of chimneys and blocks.Their absolute(20%–65%)and relative carbonate mineral contents(mainly aragonite and calcite,with minor samples containing dolomite)vary significantly,indicating the multi-stage methane leakage in our study area.Some samples show a slight negative Ce anomaly,suggesting either the mixing of seawater or variation of the redox condition during the precipitation;the cooccurrence of strongly enriched U and Mo demonstrates anoxic condition during precipitation.The mixed genetic methane source was interpreted by δ^(13)C of the Shenhu carbonates to range from-22.34‰to-59.30‰Vienna PeeDee Belemnite(VPDB),and the slight ^(18)O-enrichment imprinted on the carbonates suggests the possible influence from hydrate dissociation.The Haima carbonates,with biogenic methane as the main gas source,were presumably formed in a stronger fluid flux by compared with our Shenhu samples.

Report of epibenthic macrofauna found from Haima cold seeps and adjacent deep-sea habitats,South China Sea

This work reports on a preliminary taxonomic study of epibenthic macroinvertebrates collected or observed by underwater video at the Haima cold seeps and in adjacent deep-sea habitats,including a mud volcano feld and Ganquan Plateau,during an expedition in the South China Sea by the Chinese-manned submersible Shenhai Yongshi in May 2018.A total of 41 species belonging to 6 phyla were identifed,among which 34 species were collected from the Haima cold seeps.Mollusks and crustaceans that are specialized in reducing habitats were predominant in biotopes of the Haima cold seeps,whereas sponges and cold-water corals and their commensals were prominent in communities of the mud volcano feld and the slopes of Ganquan Plateau.The distribution and faunal composition of each taxonomic group are discussed.

Interactions of Microplastics and Methane Seepage in the Deep-Sea Environment

Microplastics(MPs)are important exempla of the Anthropocene and are exerting an increasing impact on Earth’s carbon cycle.The huge imbalance between the MPs floating on the marine surface and those that are estimated to have been introduced into the ocean necessitates a detailed assessment of marine MP sinks.Here,we demonstrate that cold seep sediments,which are characterized by methane fluid seepage and a chemosynthetic ecosystem,effectively capture and accommodate small-scale(<100μm)MPs,with 16 types of MPs being detected.The abundance of MPs in the surface of the sediment is higher in methane-seepage locations than in non-seepage areas.Methane seepage is beneficial to the accumulation,fragmentation,increased diversity,and aging of MPs.In turn,the rough surfaces of MPs contribute to the sequestration of the electron acceptor ferric oxide,which is associated with the anaerobic oxidation of methane(AOM).The efficiency of the AOM determines whether the seeping methane(which has a greenhouse effect 83 times greater than that of CO_(2)over a 20-year period)can enter the atmosphere,which is important to the global methane cycle,since the deep-sea environment is regarded as the largest methane reservoir associated with natural gas hydrates.

Glycerol ether biomarkers and their carbon isotopic compositions in a cold seep carbonate chimney from the Shenhu area, northern South China Sea

At modern cold seeps,the anaerobic oxidation of methane(AOM)is the dominant pathway for methane consumption in marine sediments.AOM,which is mediated by a consortium of methane oxidizing archaea and sulfate reducing bacteria,is proposed to be responsible for authigenic carbonate formation.A methane-derived carbonate chimney was collected from the Shenhu area, northern South China Sea.The membrane lipids and their very low carbon isotopic compositions(?115‰to?104‰)in the Shenhu chimney suggest the presence of an AOM process.Three specific archaeal and bacterial biomarkers were detected,including Ar,DAGE 1f,and monocyclic MDGD.Their strongly depleted??13C values(?115‰to?104‰),which are lower than those of the normal marine lipids in sediments,reveal biogenic methane as their origin.The carbonate deposits exhibiting a chimney structure indicate that a vigorous methane-rich fluid expulsion may have occurred at the seafloor.We propose that the decomposition of gas hydrates at depth is the likely cause of seepage and cold seep carbonate formation in the Shenhu area.

Calcium isotope fractionation and its controlling factors over authigenic carbonates in the cold seeps of the northern South China Sea

In this study, we analyzed stable calcium isotope results of authigenic carbonates from two cold seep areas of the Dongsha area and the Baiyun Sag in the northern South China Sea. The stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen as well as the mineral composition of authigenic carbonates were used to investigate control calcium isotope fractionation. The δ44/40Ca ratios of the southwestern Dongsha area samples ranged from 1.21‰ to 1.52‰ and the ratio of the Baiyun Sag sample was 1.55‰ of the SRM915a isotope standard. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the carbonate samples consisted of dolomite, calcite and aragonite, with small amounts of high-Mg calcite and siderite. The δ13C values of the carbonates of the southwestern Dongsha area varied between δ49.21‰ and δ16.86‰ of the Vienna PeeDee Belemnite (VPDB) standard and the δ18O values ranged from 2.25‰ to 3.72‰ VPDB. The δ13C value of the Baiyun Sag sample was 2.36‰ VPDB and the δ18O value was 0.44‰ VPDB. The δ13C values of the carbonates of the southwestern Dongsha area revealed there is methane seeping into this area, with a variable contribution of methane-derived carbon. The sampled carbonates covered a range of δ13C values suggesting a dominant methane carbon source for the light samples and mixtures of δ13C values for the heavier samples, with possibly an organic or seawater carbon source. The δ18O values indicated that there is enrichment in 18O, which is related to the larger oxygen isotope fractionation in dolomite compared to calcite. The results of the Baiyun Sag sample exhibited normal seawater carbon and oxygen isotopic values, indicating that this sample is not related to methane seepage but instead to precipitation from seawater. The relatively high δ44/40Ca values indicated either precipitation at comparatively high rates in pore-water regimes with high alkalinity, or precipitation from an evolved heavy fluid with high degrees of Ca consumption (Raleigh type fractionation). The dolomite samples from the Dongsha area revealed a clear correlation between the carbon and calcium isotope composition, indicating a link between the amount and/or rate of carbonate precipitation and methane contribution to the bicarbonate source. The results of the three stable isotope systems, mineralogy and petrography, show that mineral composition, the geochemical environment of authigenic carbonates and carbon source can control the calcium isotope fractionation.

冷泉碳酸盐工厂的提出及古气候意义

【意义】碳酸盐工厂的提出及其分类研究对于推动碳酸盐岩沉积学发展具有重要意义,但现行分类方案不足以囊括所有碳酸盐沉积类型,因此亟须从机理和过程层面对碳酸盐工厂类型予以梳理、扩充。【进展】传统碳酸盐工厂的碳源主要为大气—海洋中的无机碳库,而一些特殊海相和陆相碳酸盐工厂的碳则主要源于外源碳库,因而两者具有本质上的区别。后者往往对于追溯深时水体环境和气候事件具有重大意义。【结论与展望】以冷泉碳酸盐岩为例,正式提出“冷泉碳酸盐工厂”概念,综述了其沉积特征、生物组成及生物地球化学过程,并举例阐述其古气候意义。基于外源碳库的碳酸盐工厂类型理应得到重视。

冷泉碳酸盐岩有机碳、氮同位素的耦合及其对甲烷厌氧氧化过程的指示

驱动甲烷厌氧氧化(AOM)过程的微生物不仅能同化吸收甲烷等碳氢化合物作为碳源,同时也能进行氮素的同化吸收,从而导致这些微生物的生物体出现显著的^(13)C、^(15)N亏损。目前还缺乏来自冷泉环境有机氮δ^(15)N数据来直接证实AOM参与氮的循环过程。本研究分析了来自墨西哥湾海底5个冷泉站位的自生碳酸盐岩的总氮(TN)、总无机氮(TIN)和总有机氮(TON)的含量及其δ^(15)N值,并结合前人获得的总无机碳和总有机碳含量和δ^(13)C数据进行研究,结果发现总氮的δ^(15)N与总有机碳的δ^(13)C只在部分站位表现出正相关性。然而,在排除无机氮的干扰后,总有机氮的δ^(15)N与总有机碳的δ^(13)C在所有站位均表现出正相关性。表明这种有机碳、氮同位素上的耦合与甲烷的活动密切相关,有望作为有效示踪过去海底甲烷渗漏及AOM作用的指标。

南海海马冷泉区沉积物孔隙水地球化学特征对冷泉活动的指示

海马冷泉位于南海琼东南海域,是南海迄今发现的两个活动冷泉之一。我们对海马冷泉Rov2和PC3站位两个活塞重力柱沉积物孔隙水的阴阳离子、溶解无机碳(DIC)及其碳同位素组成和Sr、Ba含量等进行了分析。结果表明,两个站位孔隙水DIC含量(Rov2和PC3最大DIC含量分别为27.4、8.5 mM)和δ^(13)CDIC(Rov2和PC3站位最低值分别为-54.63‰和-48.93‰)具有明显的镜像关系。结合孔隙水硫酸盐浓度的变化特征,Rov2和PC3站位的硫酸盐-甲烷界面(SMI)分别位于约485和410 cm。通过模拟估算,Rov2和PC3站位向上甲烷通量分别为67.4和97.2 mol·m^(-2)·ka^(-1),较浅的SMI深度与相对较高的甲烷通量相一致。SMI附近极低的孔隙水δ^(13)CDIC值指示了AOM作用的发生及其对DIC的贡献。在Rov2站位,自生碳酸盐矿物以高镁方解石为主,阳离子Ca^(2+)、Mg^(2+)和Sr^(2+)含量随深度增加并表现出与SO_(4)^(2−)阴离子含量相似的变化特征。在SMI附近,随着SO_(4)^(2−)的消耗、有机质的矿化将大量的Ba^(2+)和PO_(4)^(3-)释放进入孔隙水。因此,冷泉孔隙水地球化学特征的变化能帮助我们有效识别渗漏活动过程,对AOM作用下物质的迁移与转化具有重要的指示意义。

Interactions among deep-sea mussels and their epibiotic and endosymbiotic chemoautotrophic bacteria: Insights from multi-omics analysis

Endosymbiosis with Gammaproteobacteria is fundamental for the success of bathymodioline mussels in deep-sea chemosynthesis-based ecosystems. However, the recent discovery of Campylobacteria on the gill surfaces of these mussels suggests that these host-bacterial relationships may be more complex than previously thought. Using the cold-seep mussel(Gigantidas haimaensis) as a model, we explored this hostbacterial system by assembling the host transcriptome and genomes of its epibiotic Campylobacteria and endosymbiotic Gammaproteobacteria and quantifying their gene and protein expression levels. We found that the epibiont applies a sulfur oxidizing(SOX)multienzyme complex with the acquisition of sox B from Gammaproteobacteria for energy production and switched from a reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle to a Calvin-Benson-Bassham(CBB)cycle for carbon assimilation. The host provides metabolic intermediates, inorganic carbon, and thiosulfate to satisfy the materials and energy requirements of the epibiont, but whether the epibiont benefits the host is unclear. The endosymbiont adopts methane oxidation and the ribulose monophosphate pathway(Ru MP) for energy production, providing the major source of energy for itself and the host. The host obtains most of its nutrients, such as lysine, glutamine, valine,isoleucine, leucine, histidine, and folate, from the endosymbiont. In addition, host pattern recognition receptors, including toll-like receptors, peptidoglycan recognition proteins, and C-type lectins, may participate in bacterial infection, maintenance, and population regulation. Overall, this study provides insights into the complex host-bacterial relationships that have enabled mussels and bacteria to thrive in deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystems.

基于ZooScan图像分析“海马”冷泉区浮游动物垂直分布特征

为了解“海马”冷泉区浮游动物的垂直分布以及冷泉活动可能对上方浮游动物群落产生的影响,2020年9月在“海马”冷泉区的5个调查站位使用浮游生物分层拖网对1250m以浅的浮游动物垂直分布进行了调查。使用浮游动物图像扫描系统(ZooScan)对不同水层的浮游动物样品进行了分析,获取了浮游动物的丰度、生物量和粒径谱的垂直分布特征。结果显示:浮游动物丰度和生物量主要集中在0~100m水层,低于100m后,浮游动物的丰度和生物量随着水深增加均快速下降,在1000~1250m水层平均分别仅为8.33个·m^(-3)和12.10mm^(3)·m^(-3)。总体看来,桡足类是各水层浮游动物的优势类群,胶质类浮游动物在深层中的占比上升。“海马”冷泉区不同站位和水层标准化生物量谱斜率的变动范围为-0.94~-0.57,截距的变化范围为-2.10~5.94。从表层到底层,浮游动物标准化生物量谱基本呈现斜率逐渐增大而截距逐渐减小的趋势。这反映了浮游生态系统的生产力水平从表到底逐渐下降,但浮游食物网的能量传递效率逐渐增加。甲烷气体渗漏强度最大的ROV1站位在1000~1250m水层表现出异常的粒径谱特征,生物量谱的斜率a显著低于同水层其他站位,同时在600~800m水层出现浮游动物丰度的相对高值,推测该站位的浮游动物群落结构可能受到冷泉区甲烷渗漏的影响。

海底冷泉区沉积物-水界面甲烷通量原位观测研究进展

海底沉积物-水界面作为冷泉跨圈层活动最关键的界面,近年来已成为冷泉区碳循环研究调查的重点目标。为准确获取海洋沉积物-水界面的流体通量,客观重建界面环境过程,评估环境效应,必须发展一整套精确、高效、科学的水下原位甲烷通量测量技术。综述了当前海洋冷泉区沉积物-水界面甲烷通量研究的意义与价值,详细介绍了多种较为成熟的海洋沉积物-水界面甲烷原位通量测试技术工作原理、使用方法和优缺点等,如测试游离气泡态甲烷通量的渗漏帐篷、声学反射、时序影像等技术方法,原位溶解态甲烷膜脱气技术的甲烷传感器、激光拉曼光谱测量方法等,同时对全球该领域已经调查的地区、研究现状和进展进行了详细的介绍。最后从技术层面对这一研究领域未来的发展方向和趋势进行展望,以期为未来国内海洋冷泉区沉积物-水界面甲烷通量原位观测研究提供思路与方向借鉴。