Diverse methane concentrations in anoxic brines and underlying sediments, eastern Mediterranean Sea

Elevated methane (CH4) concentrations (128–2692×103 nM) occur in the hypersaline anoxic brine pools of Bannock and Urania Basins, eastern Mediterranean Sea, compared to low concentrations (17–80×103 nM) in the sediments below the anoxic brines. The CH4 enrichment in the brines might be due to the long residence time of the brine in the Basin. An attempt is made to determine the sources for the enriched dissolved CH4 by considering the influence of hydrothermal activity, the occurrence of sapropel layers (biogenic) and dissolution of gas hydrates. Furthermore, it is suggested that the enriched CH4 in Bannock and Urania Basins is diffused and mixed with the overlying waters by local upward transport mechanisms that selectively move CH4 upward in these Basins.