Tidal modulation and temporal dynamics of methane emissions at the Formosa Ridge: insights from in-situ observations

IF 3 2区生物学 Q1 MARINE & FRESHWATER BIOLOGY

Frontiers in Marine Science Pub Date : 2025-09-22 DOI:10.3389/fmars.2025.1633033

Xiong Zhang, Zhendong Luan, Zengfeng Du, Lianfu Li, Shichuan Xi, Chao Lian, Xin Zhang

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Abstract

Methane emissions from cold seeps play an important role in oceanic carbon cycling and climate regulation, yet their temporal dynamics and controlling mechanisms remain poorly understood. We conducted long-term in situ monitoring at the Formosa Ridge (Site F), southwest of Taiwan, using a self-developed ocean observation platform that integrates an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP), conductivity–temperature–depth (CTD) sensors, current meters, and other instruments, enabling multi-parameter correlation analysis. The observations revealed pronounced temporal variability in gas emissions, with emission intensity closely correlated with bottom pressure fluctuations controlled by tidal cycles. The results suggest that hydrostatic pressure changes promote or inhibit hydraulic fracturing, thereby modulating gas release. These findings support a conceptual model of the seep’s fluid system, characterized by a constant subsurface methane supply and tidally modulated episodic bubble discharge, a mechanism likely applicable to other cold seep environments globally and offering new insights into the dynamics of marine methane emissions.

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福尔摩沙海岭甲烷排放的潮汐调制和时间动态：来自原位观测的见解

冷渗漏的甲烷排放在海洋碳循环和气候调节中发挥着重要作用，但其时间动态和控制机制尚不清楚。我们在台湾西南部的台塑海脊（Site F）进行了长期的现场监测，使用了一个自行开发的海洋观测平台，该平台集成了声学多普勒电流廓线仪（ADCP）、电导率-温度-深度（CTD）传感器、电流计和其他仪器，可以进行多参数相关分析。观测结果显示，气体排放具有明显的时间变异性，排放强度与潮汐循环控制的底压波动密切相关。结果表明，静水压力的变化可以促进或抑制水力压裂，从而调节气体的释放。这些发现支持了渗漏流体系统的概念模型，其特征是持续的地下甲烷供应和潮汐调节的幕式气泡排放，这一机制可能适用于全球其他冷渗漏环境，并为海洋甲烷排放动力学提供了新的见解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Frontiers in Marine Science Agricultural and Biological Sciences-Aquatic Science

CiteScore

5.10

自引率

16.20%

发文量

2443

审稿时长

14 weeks

期刊介绍： Frontiers in Marine Science publishes rigorously peer-reviewed research that advances our understanding of all aspects of the environment, biology, ecosystem functioning and human interactions with the oceans. Field Chief Editor Carlos M. Duarte at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal is supported by an outstanding Editorial Board of international researchers. This multidisciplinary open-access journal is at the forefront of disseminating and communicating scientific knowledge and impactful discoveries to researchers, academics, policy makers and the public worldwide. With the human population predicted to reach 9 billion people by 2050, it is clear that traditional land resources will not suffice to meet the demand for food or energy, required to support high-quality livelihoods. As a result, the oceans are emerging as a source of untapped assets, with new innovative industries, such as aquaculture, marine biotechnology, marine energy and deep-sea mining growing rapidly under a new era characterized by rapid growth of a blue, ocean-based economy. The sustainability of the blue economy is closely dependent on our knowledge about how to mitigate the impacts of the multiple pressures on the ocean ecosystem associated with the increased scale and diversification of industry operations in the ocean and global human pressures on the environment. Therefore, Frontiers in Marine Science particularly welcomes the communication of research outcomes addressing ocean-based solutions for the emerging challenges, including improved forecasting and observational capacities, understanding biodiversity and ecosystem problems, locally and globally, effective management strategies to maintain ocean health, and an improved capacity to sustainably derive resources from the oceans.