Oceans

Dissolved methane distributions and air-sea flux in the plume of a massive seep field, Coal Oil Point, California

  1. Susan Mau1,2,
  2. David L. Valentine1,
  3. Jordan F. Clark1,
  4. Justin Reed1,
  5. Richard Camilli3,
  6. Libe Washburn4

Article first published online: 24 NOV 2007

DOI: 10.1029/2007GL031344

Issue

Geophysical Research Letters

Geophysical Research Letters

Additional Information

How to Cite

Mau, S., D. L. Valentine, J. F. Clark, J. Reed, R. Camilli, and L. Washburn (2007), Dissolved methane distributions and air-sea flux in the plume of a massive seep field, Coal Oil Point, California, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L22603, doi:10.1029/2007GL031344.

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Earth Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA

  2. 2

    IFM-GEOMAR Leibniz-Institut fuer Meereswissenschaften, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany

  3. 3

    Department of Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA

  4. 4

    Institute for Computational Earth System and Department of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 24 NOV 2007
  2. Article first published online: 24 NOV 2007
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 19 OCT 2007
  4. Manuscript Revised: 6 OCT 2007
  5. Manuscript Received: 18 JUL 2007

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Keywords:

  • methane;
  • air-sea flux;
  • shallow marine seep

[1] Large quantities of natural gas are emitted from the seafloor into the stratified coastal ocean near Coal Oil Point, Santa Barbara Channel, California. Methane was quantified in the down current surface water at 79 stations in a 280 km2 study area. The methane plume spread over an area of ∼70 km2 and emitted on the order of 5 × 104 mol d−1 to the atmosphere. A monthly time series at 14 stations showed variable methane concentrations which were correlated with changing sub-mesoscale surface currents. Air-sea fluxes estimated from the time series indicate that the air-sea flux derived for the 280 km2 area is representative of the daily mean flux from this area. Only 1% of the dissolved methane originating from Coal Oil Point enters the atmosphere within the study area. Most of it appears to be transported below the surface and oxidized by microbial activity.

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