SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF MUD FLOWS, CHEMOAUTOTROPHIC COMMUNITIES, AND BIOGEOCHEMICAL HABITATS AT HåKON MOSBY MUD VOLCANO

Abstract

Marine mud volcanoes are significant source locations contributing to the marine methane cycle. Enhanced heat flow, unique chemoautotrophic communities, occurrence of massive gas hydrates and large gas plumes are direct evidences of elevated methane concentrations and the dynamic environment of mud volcanoes. Related to the high concentrations and large inventories of CH4 in surface sediments only a fraction of the methane is exported to the bottom water. This is mainly due to chemoautotrophic communities oxidizing methane and proving a “microbial filter” reducing CH4 fluxes. Although these processes were studied for several mud volcanoes still little is known about the spatial pattern and the areas covered by chemoautotrophic communities or by present mud flows.