Methane Fluid Flow from Seafloor: Data from Laspi Bay Seepage Area Compared to Other Gas Emission Regions

The measured fluid flows in the area of the methane bubble gas emission site in Laspi Bay are compared with flows in other coastal areas, including diffusion flows from bottom sediments of the Sevastopol marine area. The measured values of fluid flows varied in the range 1.4–74.3 mmol/m2 at stations located at a distance not exceeding 10 m from each other. It is assumed that denser carbonate deposits at the seepage site can localize gas flows, reducing the volume of fluid discharge. It was shown that the integral fluid flow from seafloor in Laspi Bay can be comparable to the flow from bubble gas: the maximum fluid flow per 1 square meter of the bottom is only 3.5 times lower compared to the minimum recorded flow from a single seep.