All All Regions Regions Workshop #1, Workshop #1, Barcelona Barcelona 5-7th Sept. 20075-7th Sept. 2007

Dirk de Dirk de Beer and Beer and LOOME LOOME partnerspartners

Max Planck Max Planck Institute Institute for Marinefor MarineMicrobiology Microbiology (KDM)(KDM)

dbeer@mpi-bremendbeer@mpi-bremen.de.de

ESONET ESONET demonstration missiondemonstration mission::Long-term Observatory Long-term Observatory OnOn

Mud-volcano EruptionsMud-volcano Eruptions

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 ofHERMES, MARBEF and ESONET,and this is the first proposal for aninterdisciplinary 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

A mud volcano is created whenoverpressurized gases expandand erupt.

What is interesting about observation of mud volcanism?

Reservoir at 2 km depth, > 45°C

Gas hydratesConsequently subsurfacefluids, gases and muds aredisplaced and emitted to theseafloor, forminghydrate systems andchemosynthetic habitats

Warm, methane-rich fluids rise

HydrateStability Zone (T<14C)

Hydrate formation at outer ring,lifting the seafloor

Pogonophora(ventilating worms)

Beggiatoa(filamentous sulfur oxidisers)

Grey mud

Seafloor topography and habitat structure at HMMV

Data by IFREMER microbathymetry team

• Mass transfer!

Pogonophora Beggiatoa Center

Lesson from in situ measurements:Upward flow of warm subsurface fluids create a

circular habitat structure at HMMV (and other MVs)!

DeBeer et al. 2006,L&O;Niemann et al. 2006,Nature

O2 NO3- SO4

-2

e-acceptor free

no O2 NO3- SO4

-2

Effects water upflow on sediment lifeDiffusion

Advection

Upflow

Center: 3-6 m/yr

Beggiatoa: 0.3-1 m/yr

Pogonophora: 0 m/yr

Methane emission to thehydrosphere

6 5 0 m

7 6 0 m

ARK XIX/3 b , 2 0 0 3

5 4 0 m 770

m

ARK XVIII/1 b , 2 0 0 2 :

Sauter et al. (2006) Earth Plan. Sci. Lett.Niemann et al. (2006) Nature

13–40 106 mol CH4 yr–1

Previous results from annual visits to HMMV:understanding spatial scales of change

Foucher et al. 2003 Foucher et al 2006

Most active areaT-lance just adjacent (2005-2006)

Data by IFREMER microbathymetry team

Long-term T-dynamics

Data from Feseker, Foucher and Schlüter (Ifremer/AWI)

9 month deployment of Gravity core with 8 T-sensors

Dramatic T-changesProbably eruptions

Questions: What happens? Gas escape? Mechanism? Early signals?Consequences for geochemistry, microbiology and fauna?

Scientific Aims ofLOOME observatory

1) Document phenomena of eruptions

2) Study their effects on the ecosystem

3) Quantify variability in fluid flow, gas emission andhabitat cover

• Deployment for 1- 1.5 year

• 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

• Monitor changes of the seafloor topography, benthic life, larvalcolonization and sediment geochemistry by ROV

To sensors/camera

float

Rack with loggers

Cables connection

sensors to loggers

spools

Heavy plate

5 m

To sensors/camera

float

Rack with loggers

Cables connection

sensors to loggers

spools

Heavy plate

5 m

Long-term Observatory OnMud-volcano Eruptions (LOOME)

Phase I: Mooring of subsurfacepressure / temperature probe

Data by IFREMER microbathymetry team

PT probe

Hot Spot

RV Jan Mayen Cruise 2008;coordinator J Mienert UiT

UiT/IFREMER deployment ofPT lance (logger retrieval 2009)

20 m

Data by IFREMER microbathymetry team

Central frame of observatoryat safe place

Hot Spot

RV POLARSTERN/ROVQUEST Cruise 2009;coordinator A Boetius, MPI/AWI

Phase II: Mooring of subsurfacepressure / temperature probe

All systems register with lowfrequency, to save battery and memory

low pH, low OPRanoxic, warm

Seismometer registers activity

-> wake up sonar, ADCP, camerato measure in high frequency

Frame with electronicsis placed outside hot spotat save place

Only cabled sensors are exposed.

camera

ADCP

Scanning sonar

Methane sensor

seismometer

Wake up call

Surface DO, pH, OPR

Surface T

Data storage

Data storage

Data flow

All units have own power and memory, data storage units can be released

Surface flow sensor

Colonizer &sensors

PT lance

Technological Aims ofLOOME observatory

• Integrate as many sensors as possible: definebest parameters for further long term observationof mud volcanism

• Develop and optimize integrated ways ofunderwater data storage and retrieval

• Develop a principle and technology for wake upcalls to energy-expensive instruments

Integration with otherscientific 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 anyship

•Loome is interdisciplinary, producing large amounts ofdata in various formats (video, photo, tracks, digitaldata, 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