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Methane leakage through the sulfate–methane transition zone of the Baltic seabed
Lapham, L.L.; Lloyd, K.G.; Fossing, H.; Flury, S.; Jensen, J.B.; Alperin, M.J.; Rehder, G.; Holzhueter, W.; Ferdelman, T.; Jørgensen, B.B. (2024). Methane leakage through the sulfate–methane transition zone of the Baltic seabed. Nature Geoscience 17(12): 1277-1283. https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41561-024-01594-z
In: Nature Geoscience. Nature Publishing Group: London. ISSN 1752-0894; e-ISSN 1752-0908
Related to:
Valentine, D.L. (2024). Methane evades microbes. Nature Geoscience 17(12): 1197-1198. https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41561-024-01599-8, more
Peer reviewed article  
Available in  Authors 
Authors  Top 
  • Lapham, L.L.
  • Lloyd, K.G.
  • Fossing, H.
  • Flury, S.
  • Jensen, J.B.
  • Alperin, M.J.
  • Rehder, G.
  • Holzhueter, W.
  • Ferdelman, T.
  • Jørgensen, B.B.
Abstract
    Anaerobic oxidation of methane at the sulfate–methane transition in marine sediments is generally considered to be a near-perfect barrier against methane release from the seabed, but the mechanisms involved are not well understood. On the basis of a survey of Baltic Sea sediments we show that a highly variable amount (0–100%) of subseafloor methane leaks through the sulfate–methane transition. The diffusive methane flux to the sediment–water interface is often high, reaching over 2 mmol m−2 d−1. Even though anaerobic methane oxidation is thermodynamically and kinetically favoured where methane fluxes are high, there is no evidence of methane oxidation in concentration, isotope and modelling results. Cores that lacked anaerobic methane oxidation had high modelled organic matter mineralization rates, suggesting that a possible mechanism could be high electron donor availability due to elevated H2 concentrations, as has been predicted by laboratory studies. We show that methane leakage across the sulfate–methane transition is widespread in organic-rich marine sediments.
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