Dirk de Beer and LOOME partners
Max Planck Institute for Marine
Microbiology (KDM)
[email protected]
[email protected]
ESONET demonstration mission:
Long-term Observatory On
Mud-volcano Eruptions
All Regions Workshop #1, Barcelona 5-7th Sept. 2007
ESONET demonstration mission:
Long-term Observatory On
Mud-volcano Eruptions
(LOOME)
MPI-MM
Mud volcanism:
- the window of the deep subsurface to the ocean
- rapid (catastrophic) transport of energy and mass
Observatory Target site:
Håkon Mosby Mud Volcano
-Norwegian margin, 1250 m depth
-methane emitting geostructure
-hydrate reservoir
-chemosynthetic ecosystem
-polar bottom water
HMMV is a target site of
HERMES, MARBEF and ESONET,
and this is the first proposal for an
interdisciplinary observatory there.
LOOME partners:
• Ifremer
• University of Pierre and Marie Curie
• University in Tromsø
• Norges Geotekniske Institutt
• KDM
– Marum
– AWI
– IfM-Geomar
– Max-Planck-Institute for Marine Microbiology
What is interesting about observation of mud volcanism?
A mud volcano is created when
overpressurized gases expand
and erupt.
Gas hydrates
Consequently subsurface
fluids, gases and muds are
displaced and emitted to the
seafloor, forming
hydrate systems and
chemosynthetic habitats
Reservoir at 2 km depth, > 45°C
Warm, methane-rich fluids rise
Hydrate
Stability
Zone (T<14C)
Hydrate formation at outer ring,
lifting the seafloor
Seafloor topography and habitat structure at HMMV
Pogonophora
(ventilating worms)
Data by IFREMER microbathymetry team
Beggiatoa
(filamentous sulfur oxidisers)
Grey mud
Lesson from in situ measurements:
Upward flow of warm subsurface fluids create a
circular habitat structure at HMMV (and other MVs)!
• Mass transfer!
Pogonophora
Beggiatoa
Center
DeBeer et al. 2006,
L&O;
Niemann et al. 2006,
Nature
Effects water upflow on sediment life
Diffusion
O2 NO3-
SO4-2
Advection
e-acceptor free
no O2 NO3 SO4
-
-2
Upflow
Center: 3-6 m/yr
Beggiatoa: 0.3-1 m/yr
Pogonophora: 0 m/yr
Methane emission to the
hydrosphere
540 m
770
m
ARK XVIII/1 b , 2 0 0 2 :
650 m
13–40
106
mol CH4
ARK XIX/3 b , 2 0 0 3
–1
yr
Sauter et al. (2006) Earth Plan. Sci. Lett.
Niemann et al. (2006) Nature
760 m
Previous results from annual visits to HMMV:
understanding spatial scales of change
Foucher et al. 2003
Foucher et al 2006
Most active area
T-lance just adjacent (2005-2006)
Data by IFREMER microbathymetry team
Data from Feseker, Foucher and Schlüter (Ifremer/AWI)
Long-term T-dynamics
9 month deployment of
Gravity core with
8 T-sensors
Dramatic T-changes
Probably eruptions
Questions: What happens? Gas escape? Mechanism? Early signals?
Consequences for geochemistry, microbiology and fauna?
Scientific Aims of
LOOME observatory
1) Document phenomena of eruptions
2) Study their effects on the ecosystem
3) Quantify variability in fluid flow, gas emission and
habitat cover
Long-term Observatory On
Mud-volcano Eruptions (LOOME)
float
Rack with loggers
• Deployment for 1- 1.5 year
5m
Cables connection
sensors to loggers
spools
•





Integration of sensors:
Seismometers (deep mud and fluid motion)
Subsurface temperature and pore pressure lance
Surface Temperature and Chemistry (pH, redox, H2S, O2)
Imaging gasflares by sonar, ADCP, camera
Water column: methane sensor, CTD
To sensors/camera
Heavy plate
• Monitor changes of the seafloor topography, benthic life, larval
colonization and sediment geochemistry by ROV
Phase I: Mooring of subsurface
pressure / temperature probe
PT probe
Hot Spot
20 m
Data by IFREMER microbathymetry team
RV Jan Mayen Cruise 2008;
coordinator J Mienert UiT
UiT/IFREMER deployment of
PT lance (logger retrieval 2009)
Phase II: Mooring of subsurface
pressure / temperature probe
Central frame of observatory
at safe place
Hot Spot
RV POLARSTERN/ROV
QUEST Cruise 2009;
coordinator A Boetius, MPI/AWI
Data by IFREMER microbathymetry team
low pH, low OPR
anoxic, warm
All systems register with low
frequency, to save battery and
memory
Seismometer registers activity
-> wake up sonar, ADCP, camera
to measure in high frequency
Frame with electronics
is placed outside hot spot
at save place
Only cabled sensors are
exposed.
Data flow
Surface T
Surface
flow sensor
Colonizer &
sensors
Surface DO,
pH, OPR
camera
Data
storage
ADCP
seismometer
Wake up call
Scanning
sonar
Data
storage
Methane
sensor
All units have own power and memory,
data storage units can be released
PT lance
Technological Aims of
LOOME observatory
•
•
•
Integrate as many sensors as possible: define
best parameters for further long term observation
of mud volcanism
Develop and optimize integrated ways of
underwater data storage and retrieval
Develop a principle and technology for wake up
calls to energy-expensive instruments
Integration with other
scientific projects
• Share cruise platforms and data:
geophysical, hydrological, geological,
geochemical, biological studies
• Cooperation with HERMES I+II
• Cooperation with ESF EuroDiversity
CHEMECO
• Cooperation with CoML CHESS and ICOMM
LOOME data integration and management
•The underwater communication will be by optical fiber
•Data from all units mirrored on separate storage device
•Storage device can be released and retrieved from any
ship
•Loome is interdisciplinary, producing large amounts of
data in various formats (video, photo, tracks, digital
data, maps, biological data etc)
• use the database chosen by HERMES (PANGAEA),
most data pipelines are established
Thank you for your attention!
Team
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ifremer- Jean Paul Foucher, Nadine LeBris, Katrien Olu (pore pressure,
microbathymetry, camera, colonization experiment)
UPMC- Francoise Gaill, Sebastian Duperron, Olivier Gros, Sylvie Gaudron
(colonization experiment, chemosynthesis)
UiT- Jürgen Mienert, Stefan Bünz, Alfred Hansen (seismometer)
NGI- James Strout, Anne Gunn Rike (microbial analyses)
KDM- Christoff Waldmann, Volker Ratmeyer, Gerard Bohrmann (sonar,
ADCP, ROV, datastorage & communication), Tom Feseker (T-string),
Eberhard Sauter, Thomas Soltwedel, Christiane Hasemann, Michael Klages,
Michael Schlüter (methane sensor, ship, meiofauna analyses) , Antje Boetius,
Frank Wenzhöfer, Dirk de Beer (chemical sensor string, frame, elevator)
TMBL/U Goteborg, shallow water testing, Tomas Lundalv