Undersea Gas Leaks Discovered Off Israel's Coast
Undersea Gas Leaks Discovered Off Israel's Coast
November 8, 2012At the outset of their study, researchers from the University of Haifa found more than 700 pockmarks (some at least 200 feet, or 60 meters, across) in the seabed that they suspected were active gas springs. Further geophysical investigation indicated these indentations were actually connected to a 27-square-mile (72-square-kilometer) reserve on the continental shelf, which is letting some gas escape from relatively shallow depths between 121 and 367 feet (37 and 112 meters) below sea-level.
"We don't know yet what kind of gas we're talking about, but its role in undermining the stability of the seabed is clear," Michael Lazar, a member of the research team, said in a statement. "This means that any discussion of marine infrastructure development must seriously relate to this shallow gas stratum."
"Now we are beginning to understand that there is no substitute for thoroughly researching the stability of the seafloor to prevent an infrastructure failure, since any leak could cause an ecological disaster," said study researcher Uri Schattner.
The scientists are planning further expeditions to the springs to better understand of the type of gas seeping from this deposit and its influence on marine life near the seafloor.
Their research was published recently in the journal Continental Shelf Research.