Bussmann, Ingeborg; Fischer, Philipp (2025): Methane concentration and diffusive flux in the Northern Sea off Heligoland in 2023 [dataset]. PANGAEA, https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.987126 (DOI registration in progress)
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Published: 2025-11-24
Abstract:
As part of the MOSES Project, in April 2023 methane measurements were started in the north-western part of the island Heligoland in the German Bight (North Sea). The objective was to complement the measurements of the "Sternfahrten" to identify the carbon cycle and its flow from the start of the Elbe river into the North Sea. Therefore, a Contros methane sensor for dissolved methane was deployed under water at about 10 to 12 meter depth (depending on the tide) close to the underwater observatory (UW-OBS) MarGate (54°11' N, 7°52' E), from the COSYNA Project. To ensure correct values latter was cleaned frequently from growing organisms by scientific divers. The present data contains the data from 2023, the first year running the sensors. Based on the concentrations of dissolved methane the methane emissions (diffusive flux) was calculated.
Keyword(s):
Related to:
Bussmann, Ingeborg; Anselm, Norbert; Brix, Holger; Fischer, Philipp; Flöser, Götz; Raupers, Björn (2024): MOSES Sternfahrt-10, Elbe water distribution and dispersion of pollutants from the Elbe outflow into the Northern Sea (German Bight), in 2023 [dataset]. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.971874
Bussmann, Ingeborg; Brix, Holger; Fischer, Philipp; Kamjunke, Norbert; Krauss, Martin; Raupers, Björn; Sanders, Tina (2024): The MOSES Sternfahrt Expeditions of the Research Vessels ALBIS, LITTORINA, LUDWIG PRANDTL and MYA II to the Elbe River, Elbe Estuary and German Bight in 2023. Berichte zur Polar- und Meeresforschung = Reports on Polar and Marine Research, 786, 65 pp, https://doi.org/10.57738/BzPM_0786_2024
Bussmann, Ingeborg; Brix, Holger; Flöser, Götz; Kamjunke, Norbert; Raupers, Björn (2024): Distribution of contaminants from the Elbe outflow into the North Sea (German Bight) based on water samples from the MOSES cruise Sternfahrt 10 in 2023 [dataset]. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.973169
Additional metadata:
Additional Metadata from methane measurements close to MarGate observatory in 2023. Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research - Biological Institute Helgoland, HEL_CH4_add-metadata_Pangaea.txt
Documentation:
Nightingale, Philip D; Malin, Gill; Law, Cliff S; Watson, Andrew J; Liss, Peter S; Liddicoat, Malcolm; Boutin, Jacqueline; Upstill-Goddard, Robert C (2000): In situ evaluation of air-sea gas exchange parameterizations using novel conservative and volatile tracers. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 14(1), 373-387, https://doi.org/10.1029/1999GB900091
Wanninkhof, Rik; Asher, William E; Ho, David T; Sweeney, Colm; McGillis, W R (2009): Advances in Quantifying Air-Sea Gas Exchange and Environmental Forcing. Annual Review of Marine Science, 1(1), 213-244, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.marine.010908.163742
Wiesenburg, Denis A; Guinasso Jr., Norman L (1979): Equilibrium solubilities of methane, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen in water and sea water. Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data, 24(4), 356-360, https://doi.org/10.1021/je60083a006
Project(s):
Coverage:
Latitude: 54.183300 * Longitude: 7.866700
Date/Time Start: 2023-04-05T17:19:00 * Date/Time End: 2023-12-31T23:03:00
Minimum DEPTH, water: 10 m * Maximum DEPTH, water: 10 m
Event(s):
2023_Heligoland_CH4 * Latitude: 54.183300 * Longitude: 7.866700 * Date/Time Start: 2023-04-05T17:19:00 * Date/Time End: 2023-12-31T23:03:00 * Location: Helgoland, North Sea * Method/Device: Methane sensor, 4H-JENA engineering GmbH, CONTROS HydroC® CH₄
Comment:
After the underwater methane sensor was retrieved it was calibrated by the company (4HJena). Thereby a drift from 0.3 ppm was detected and corrected. For the following calculations only values were used when the power of the sensor integrated pump was between two and eight watt.
For the calculation of the methane concentration, first the solubility of the methane was determined (Guinasso et al., 1979). This was based on corresponding temperature and salinity data from specific sensors also deployed in the UW-OBS MarGate at this time. Afterwards the concentration was calculated according to the manufacturers' specifications.
For the calculation of the methane flux, atmospheric methane concentration and wind data were taken from the ICOS station. Since the MarGate field is protected from the west side by the island, in case of westerly wind the following corrections were made:
• direction 140° - 240°, wind force multiplied by factor 0.5
• direction 241° - 280°, wind force multiplied by factor 0.7
Those values were applied to the Nightingale formula calculating the diffusive flux for the year 2023.
For more information about the used data and bibliography see additional metadata.
Parameter(s):
| # | Name | Short Name | Unit | Principal Investigator | Method/Device | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DATE/TIME | Date/Time | Bussmann, Ingeborg | Geocode | ||
| 2 | LATITUDE | Latitude | Bussmann, Ingeborg | Geocode | ||
| 3 | LONGITUDE | Longitude | Bussmann, Ingeborg | Geocode | ||
| 4 | DEPTH, water | Depth water | m | Bussmann, Ingeborg | Geocode – depending on the tidal level | |
| 5 | Methane, dissolved | CH4 diss | nmol/l | Bussmann, Ingeborg | Methane sensor, 4H-JENA engineering GmbH, CONTROS HydroC® CH₄ | |
| 6 | Methane, flux, diffusive | CH4 flux diff | µmol/m2/day | Bussmann, Ingeborg | Calculated according to Wanninkhof et al., 2009 and Nightingale et al., 2000 | |
| 7 | Gas transfer velocity | k | cm/h | Bussmann, Ingeborg |
License:
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY-4.0)
Status:
Curation Level: Enhanced curation (CurationLevelC) * Processing Level: PANGAEA data processing level 3 (ProcLevel3)
Size:
320130 data points
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