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HE475

Heincke cruise HE-475

Bremerhaven - Bremerhaven

25.10.2016 - 13.11.2016
Within the applied working area in the Netherlands sector of the North Sea (Fig. 1) gas bubble emissions related to shallow gas and condensate accumulations will be detected and mapped using ship-borne hydroacoustic techniques as multi- and single-beam echosounder, and subbottom profiler. Main objective of the cruise is, however, the testing of a novel AUV equipped with a high-resolution sonar for exact gas emission detection and a newly developed autoclave gas sampler. The AUV is developed within the the BMWi funded project IMGAM “Intelligentes Monitoring von klimaschädlichen CO2/CH4 Gasaustritten im Meer”. At selected sites high resolution qualitative and quantitative acoustic measurements of gas emissions shall be done using this new AUV with an implemented gas detection sonar. Furthermore, the automatic autoclave gas sampler implemented in the AUV will be tested for the collection of vent gas. The gas will be sampled and analysed on land after the cruise. Additional water column sampling with a CTD/ rosette sampler will be done to assess the concentrations of dissolved methane in the vicinity of the gas bubble emissions. During surveys, air will be continuously sampled and analysed for methane concentrations. The combined data will be compared to earlier analyses in this work area and allow for a comparative study about the gas emission variability.
In case all objectives can be complied in the Dutch work area, it is planned to further study further seep sites known in the Danish work area (Skagerrak and Kattegat) or the Norwegian sector of the North Sea (Tommeliten, Gullfaks, Nyegga).

Fig. 1: Main work area during HE-475 will be in the Netherlands sector of the North Sea. Vigorous gas emissions are known at Block B13 and have been investigated intensively during the last years (HE-413, HE-444, HE-459). This seep area is therefore an ideal area for testing the novel IMGAM-AUV.

Chief scientist:

Dr. Miriam Römer

Phone: 

+49 421 218-65059

Fax:

+49 421 218-65099

Email:

Room: 

GEO, 1050

Phone: +49 421 218 65059
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