Plattform Platform	Reise-Nr. Cruise-No.	Zeitraum Period	Projekt Project	Arbeitsgebiet Working area
Sonne1	177	02.06.2004 - 19.07.2004		South China Sea

Fahrtleiter Chief Scientist	Institut Institute	Auslaufhafen Port of departure	Einlaufhafen Port of return	Stationskarte Station map	Schiffsroute Trackchart
Suess Erwin	Leibniz-Institut fur Meereswissenschaften an der Universitat Kiel	Hong Kong	Shanghai

Ziel der Reise / Objectives of Cruise:

Cooperative research between the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey (GMGS) and the Leibniz-Institut fur Meereswissenschaften Kiel (IFM-GEOMAR) addressed the geological methane budget and environmental effects of methane emissions on the northern slope of the South China Sea. Multibeam bathymetry, ocean floor observation (OFOS) and water column methane distribution provided the basis for locating seafloor sites of methane venting. Accumulations of methane-derived carbonate debris and pavements characterize the seafloor at depth between 600-900m. A 30-m high structure, named Jiu Long Methane Reef, was discovered; it is an active cold vent site with chemosynthetic fauna. At 3000m in the adjacent Formosa Canyon methane anomalies and clam colonies indicate active methane venting. Pore water and gas chemistry on gravity cores indicate rather shallow depths of the sulfate-methane-interface (SMI) and documented chloride anomalies from deep-seated fluids. The results document: vast amounts of methane being emitted from the passive margin of the northern South China Sea; significant deep-sea biota modulate the greenhouse gas budget by fixing methane carbon as authigenic carbonates, TV-guided deep-sea instrumentation and deployment of pressure-conserving coring technology advances marine science; productive implementation of Chinese-German partnership..

Messungen / Measurements