Active gas seepage in western Spitsbergen fjords, Svalbard archipelago: spatial extent and geological controls
This study presents the first systematic observations of active gas seepage from the seafloor in the main fjords of western Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago. High-resolution acoustic water column data were acquired throughout two research cruises in August 2015 and June 2021. 883 gas flares h...
Published in: | Frontiers in Earth Science |
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/feart.2023.1173477 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2023.1173477/full |
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crfrontiers:10.3389/feart.2023.1173477 2024-05-12T08:00:07+00:00 Active gas seepage in western Spitsbergen fjords, Svalbard archipelago: spatial extent and geological controls Rodes, Nil Betlem, Peter Senger, Kim Römer, Miriam Hodson, Andy Liira, Martin Birchall, Tom Roy, Srikumar Noormets, Riko Smyrak-Sikora, Aleksandra Olaussen, Snorre Bohrmann, Gerhard 2023 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/feart.2023.1173477 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2023.1173477/full unknown Frontiers Media SA https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Frontiers in Earth Science volume 11 ISSN 2296-6463 General Earth and Planetary Sciences journal-article 2023 crfrontiers https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2023.1173477 2024-04-18T07:56:22Z This study presents the first systematic observations of active gas seepage from the seafloor in the main fjords of western Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago. High-resolution acoustic water column data were acquired throughout two research cruises in August 2015 and June 2021. 883 gas flares have been identified and characterized in Isfjorden, and 115 gas flares in Van Mijenfjorden. The hydroacoustic data indicate active fluid migration into the water column. Interpretation of 1943 km of regional offshore 2D seismic profiles supplemented the water column and existing gas geochemical data by providing geological control on the distribution of source rocks and potential migration pathways for fluids. In the study area, bedrock architecture controls the fluid migration from deep source rocks. Faults, high permeability layers, heavily fractured units and igneous intrusions channel the gas seepage into the water column. The observations of gas seepage presented in this study are an important step towards the assessment of how near-shore seepage impacts upon the carbon budget of Svalbard fjords, which constitute a globally recognized early climate change warning system for the High Arctic. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Climate change Isfjord* Isfjord* Isfjorden Isfjorden Svalbard Van Mijenfjorden Spitsbergen Frontiers (Publisher) Arctic Svalbard Svalbard Archipelago Van Mijenfjorden ENVELOPE(14.667,14.667,77.717,77.717) Frontiers in Earth Science 11 |
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Open Polar |
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Frontiers (Publisher) |
op_collection_id |
crfrontiers |
language |
unknown |
topic |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences |
spellingShingle |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Rodes, Nil Betlem, Peter Senger, Kim Römer, Miriam Hodson, Andy Liira, Martin Birchall, Tom Roy, Srikumar Noormets, Riko Smyrak-Sikora, Aleksandra Olaussen, Snorre Bohrmann, Gerhard Active gas seepage in western Spitsbergen fjords, Svalbard archipelago: spatial extent and geological controls |
topic_facet |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences |
description |
This study presents the first systematic observations of active gas seepage from the seafloor in the main fjords of western Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago. High-resolution acoustic water column data were acquired throughout two research cruises in August 2015 and June 2021. 883 gas flares have been identified and characterized in Isfjorden, and 115 gas flares in Van Mijenfjorden. The hydroacoustic data indicate active fluid migration into the water column. Interpretation of 1943 km of regional offshore 2D seismic profiles supplemented the water column and existing gas geochemical data by providing geological control on the distribution of source rocks and potential migration pathways for fluids. In the study area, bedrock architecture controls the fluid migration from deep source rocks. Faults, high permeability layers, heavily fractured units and igneous intrusions channel the gas seepage into the water column. The observations of gas seepage presented in this study are an important step towards the assessment of how near-shore seepage impacts upon the carbon budget of Svalbard fjords, which constitute a globally recognized early climate change warning system for the High Arctic. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rodes, Nil Betlem, Peter Senger, Kim Römer, Miriam Hodson, Andy Liira, Martin Birchall, Tom Roy, Srikumar Noormets, Riko Smyrak-Sikora, Aleksandra Olaussen, Snorre Bohrmann, Gerhard |
author_facet |
Rodes, Nil Betlem, Peter Senger, Kim Römer, Miriam Hodson, Andy Liira, Martin Birchall, Tom Roy, Srikumar Noormets, Riko Smyrak-Sikora, Aleksandra Olaussen, Snorre Bohrmann, Gerhard |
author_sort |
Rodes, Nil |
title |
Active gas seepage in western Spitsbergen fjords, Svalbard archipelago: spatial extent and geological controls |
title_short |
Active gas seepage in western Spitsbergen fjords, Svalbard archipelago: spatial extent and geological controls |
title_full |
Active gas seepage in western Spitsbergen fjords, Svalbard archipelago: spatial extent and geological controls |
title_fullStr |
Active gas seepage in western Spitsbergen fjords, Svalbard archipelago: spatial extent and geological controls |
title_full_unstemmed |
Active gas seepage in western Spitsbergen fjords, Svalbard archipelago: spatial extent and geological controls |
title_sort |
active gas seepage in western spitsbergen fjords, svalbard archipelago: spatial extent and geological controls |
publisher |
Frontiers Media SA |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/feart.2023.1173477 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2023.1173477/full |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(14.667,14.667,77.717,77.717) |
geographic |
Arctic Svalbard Svalbard Archipelago Van Mijenfjorden |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Svalbard Svalbard Archipelago Van Mijenfjorden |
genre |
Arctic Climate change Isfjord* Isfjord* Isfjorden Isfjorden Svalbard Van Mijenfjorden Spitsbergen |
genre_facet |
Arctic Climate change Isfjord* Isfjord* Isfjorden Isfjorden Svalbard Van Mijenfjorden Spitsbergen |
op_source |
Frontiers in Earth Science volume 11 ISSN 2296-6463 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2023.1173477 |
container_title |
Frontiers in Earth Science |
container_volume |
11 |
_version_ |
1798841825279082496 |