RV Poseidon P462: 28.10. - 21.11.2013 (Izmir - Izmir)

Anaximander Mud Volcanoes (Eastern Mediterranean)

During this cruise we plan to micro-bathymetrically map four mud volcanoes in the eastern Mediterranean (Amsterdam, Athina, Thessaloniki and Kazan), in the submarine Anaximander Mountains, by means of our AUV SEAL. Submarine mud volcanoes are quite active geo-structures with respect to fluid-, gas- and material transfer, whose mechanisms contrary to terrestrial mud vulcanoes are often influenced by the dynamic of gas hydrate production. Due to the high temperatures (14°C) and the mostly high connate water salinity (>40 PSU), the occurrence of gas hydrate is limited to only a few areas of the deep Mediterranean Sea. One exception from this norm is the Anaximander area, where Messinian salt layers in the bedrock are missing. Mud volcanoes in this region verifiably contain gas hydrate, whereas latest investigations also implicate complex hydrate in the sII- and sH-structures whose stability field is higher than the stability field of the wider spread sl-structure.

Bathymetric map of the research area for P462.

Chief Scientist:
Gerhard Bohrmann

Phone: +49 421 21865051
Mail: [Bitte aktivieren Sie Javascript]

Actual Position of RV POSEIDON

P462 Leg 1: 30.10.-14.11.2013
Izmir - Antalya
Chief Scientist: Gerhard Bohrmann
Phone: +49-421 218-65050
E-Mail: [Bitte aktivieren Sie Javascript]

P462 Leg 2: 14.11.-21.11.2013
Antalya - Izmir
Chief Scientist: Gerrit Meinecke
Phone: +49-421-218-65601
E-Mail: [Bitte aktivieren Sie Javascript]

Besides the measurements of micro-bathymetry, using MARUM AUV SEAL 5000 (above), most of all the autoclave piston corer DAPC (see below) will be deployed for sampling of the mud volcanoe's gas hydrates.