Institute of Geoenergy (FORTH/IG)’s Post

🌊 Spotlight on MSc Research: Methane Dynamics in the Elbe River We are proud to share the work of Irmak Gök, whose Master’s thesis “Spatial and Temporal Variability of Methane Concentration in the Elbe River and Estuary” was supervised by Prof. Lars Kutzbach and Dr. Kirstin Dähnke, in collaboration between the University of Hamburg and Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon. 📅 In summer 2024, Irmak conducted two complementary field campaigns to investigate methane (CH₄) dynamics in the Elbe—an ecosystem strongly influenced by human activity: Temporal study (mid-July to early October) downstream of the Geesthacht weir. Spatial survey (August) across the estuary, measuring CH₄ alongside environmental and biological parameters such as chlorophyll a, oxygen, nutrients, and turbidity. 🔍 Key findings: Warm summer conditions and long water residence times led to CH₄ build-up until mid-September. A September 20th flood disrupted this accumulation, flushing CH₄ and adding upstream nutrients. CH₄ was highest at the freshwater entry and declined through the Hamburg harbor. Discovery of a freshwater turbidity maximum downstream of the harbor—higher than the known estuarine turbidity maximum—likely caused by human-driven sediment transport. These insights highlight the value of integrating spatial and temporal monitoring to understand greenhouse gas dynamics in rivers under human impact. 👏 Congratulations, Irmak, on advancing our understanding of riverine CH₄ processes! #Methane #RiverResearch #ElbeRiver #ClimateScience #EstuaryScience #GreenhouseGases #Hydrology #SICSS #ResearchSpotlight

#GaiaBlu #WomBlue #WomenInBlue is a capacity development initiative by the International Seabed Authority, in partnership with CNR-ISMAR Institute of Marine Sciences Rabiatu Abubakar, PhD, University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa, #Ghana Learn more https://lnkd.in/dsJUXBWv #WomenInSTEM #DeepSeaResearch #EmpoweringWomen

I am incredibly proud to share that my masters thesis, "Hypoxia Driven by Caribbean Sargassum Accumulation Events," has been published in Royal Society Open Science! 🌊🌱 Massive influxes of sargassum seaweed have been transforming Caribbean coastlines. Our research investigates a critical consequence of these events: the development of hypoxia (low-oxygen conditions) as the seaweed decomposes. Through incubation experiments and modeling, we show that low-oxygen conditions at night become more severe with increasing sargassum biomass. Furthermore, we found that less biomass is required to cause severe hypoxia in warmer waters with longer residence times. We hope the results of this study can be leveraged to develop early warning systems for similar events in the future. This work was a true team effort. A profound thank you to my amazing co-authors, Travis Courtney, Jenniffer Perez, Roy Armstrong, and JJ Cruz Mota. Your expertise, dedication, and support throughout this journey were indispensable. I am deeply grateful for your mentorship and collaboration. As these sargassum events become the new norm, understanding their environmental impact is crucial for proper coastal management and conservation. I hope our findings contribute meaningfully to the scientific dialogue and solutions for affected regions. The article is open access, so everyone can read our full findings: https://lnkd.in/eCXGqd4E #Sargassum #Caribbean #Hypoxia #ClimateChange #MarineBiology #Oceanography #CoastalScience #HarmfulAlgalBloom #Research #OpenScience #AcademicChatter #Masterslife #RoyalSociety

This position is part of the James Cook University node of the AuScope Geochemistry Network which is a consortium of eleven university laboratories across Australia that provide specialized analyses of earth and environmental samples. The consortium will work together on a research project entitled “EarthBank: An Australian geochemistry network activity enabling the analysis, preservation and discoverability of nationally significant Earth & environmental collections”. The researcher will collaborate with other node members and contribute to the growth of the EarthBank network. This position will also take the responsibility of managing the mineral separation laboratory at James Cook University and the development of high quality, on-demand geochronological and mineral chemistry commercial services to external stakeholders. https://lnkd.in/gtMjjn29 @jamescookuniversity #JamesCookUniversity

Dr Kathryn Goodenough, BGS Head of International-Regional Geoscience, appointed as honorary professor by the University of Aberdeen. The new position will focus on critical minerals and the wider energy transition, building on her existing teaching role as part of the undergraduate course, ‘UN Sustainable Development Goals and geoscience’. The appointment has the potential to help foster further links between BGS and the University of Aberdeen, which has several areas of complementary research, including its Centre for Energy Transition and the BGS-led Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre. https://lnkd.in/e5Ctdtd9

SFBN Feed: Alta Resource Technologies Advances to Final Phase of DARPA’s EMBER Program for Domestic Critical Minerals as Partner of Lawrence Livermore National Lab-Led Team https://lnkd.in/gqfs4vb8 BOULDER, Colo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– #criticalminerals–Alta Resource Technologies today announced its selection as a primary collaborator in Phase 3 of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)’s Environmental Microbes as a BioEngineering Resource (EMBER) program. Led by [...] #BayArea #SanFrancisco #Biotech #Lifescience #News

New Austrian Science Fund FWF CoE Microplanet Publication in Cell refines our understanding of marine ecosystems! The study, conducted by an international team of scientists, including CoE Key Researcher Martin Polz (Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna), uncovers the significant and previously underestimated contribution of fungi to ocean biomass and the global carbon cycle. The study provides the first global-scale quantification of pelagic fungi, revealing they contribute an estimated 0.32 gigatons of carbon to the open ocean. Fungal biomass is nine times greater than that of archaea, overturning previous assumptions about the relative abundance of key microbial groups in the ocean. The new biomass ratio of archaea:fungi:bacteria is estimated at 1:9:44. Fungi were found to be closely linked to chlorophyll concentration, suggesting a vital role in the degradation of phytoplankton and the cycling of carbon within the marine food web. These findings emphasize the necessity of including fungi in future biogeochemical models to predict marine carbon dynamics accurately. 📃Link to the publication: https://lnkd.in/dJ-2wGYy

Sedimentary processes controlling gas hydrate accumulation in the Shenhu area of the northern South China Sea - Frontiers in Marine Science: Gas hydrates, as an environmentally friendly energy resource, are primarily distributed in marine sediments, with the vast majority occurring in subseafloor fine-grained sediments. However, the formation mechanisms of gas hydrates within fine-grained sediments remain poorly constrained. In addition to the temperature and pressure conditions, variations in sedimentary layer properties resulting from distinct sedimentary processes critically control gas hydrate accumulation. Since the Quaternary, substantial environmental and sedimentary dynamic changes in the northern South China Sea have likely influenced gas hydrate enrichment. This paper investigates the variability of sedimentary processes and its implications for gas hydrate accumulation by integrating analyses of sediment grain-size parameters, clay mineral characteristics, biological data, and geochemical data. The results indicated that the gas hydrate reservoir in the study area was predominantly bearing in fine-grained turbidite sediments. In contrast, the overlying hydrate-free layer is primarily influenced by traction flow dynamics, specifically contour currents. The differences in the sedimentary processes are mainly governed by sea-level fluctuations and climate variations, which modulate the hydrodynamic intensity and sediment provenance. During periods of low sea level and colder climate conditions, gravity flows preferentially develop fine-grained turbidite deposits. Sediments form in such sedimentological and environmental conditions promote gas hydrate accumulation. Conversely, during periods of high sea level and warmer climate conditions, the enhanced contour current intensity and velocity are accompanied by increased illite/smectite mixed-layer content, whose complex internal structure and large specific surface area reduce sediment porosity and permeability, thereby inhibiting gas hydrate formation. These findings not only reveal the coupling between sedimentary processes and gas hydrate enrichment but also elucidate the underlying mechanisms driving this relationship. Moreover, they establish a link between paleoclimate conditions and gas hydrate enrichment by positioning sedimentary processes as an intermediary. This study contributes significantly to the understanding of gas hydrate accumulation theory and its environmental implications. https://lnkd.in/e7Aencza

𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 #𝐊𝐲𝐫𝐠𝐲𝐳𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 | Chinese Academy of Sciences | 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚 (𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐄𝐂𝐀) | Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technologies Residents in rural areas near Kyrgyzstan's capital, #Bishkek, have long relied on artesian springs and streams for their water needs. To help change that, partnered with Chinese institutions to introduce water purification systems, which include 11 units covering seven regions. Around 20,000 people are benefiting from these systems. China's Luban Workshops at Kyrgyz State Technical University are also helping to train local talent in water resource management, working towards the goal of greater access to drinking water. CGTN | 23.08.2025 #China #Bishkek #NarynRiver #Hydrology #WaterPurification #Geographer

Time of proto-Earth reservoir formation and volatile element depletion from 53Mn-53Cr chronometry. Abstract: "The 53Mn-53Cr chronometry of Solar System materials constrains the early chemical evolution of the protoplanetary disk, which is critical for planet formation. Mn/Cr ratios in carbonaceous chondrites and the bulk silicate Earth indicate that meteorite parent bodies and Earth have variable depletions in volatile elements compared to the bulk Solar composition. This depletion is a consequence of the local temperature decreasing as a function of heliocentric distance before planetesimal accretion. Back-tracking the present-day ε53Cr composition of the hypothetical proto-Earth fraction shows that the cessation of Mn-Cr fractionation from the bulk Solar composition occurred no later than ~3 Ma after CAI formation, similar to disk regions of carbonaceous chondrites at greater heliocentric distances. The timing of limited solid-gas interaction due to the dissipation of gas from the protoplanetary disk caused the cessation of Mn-Cr fractionation and provides a lower limit on its lifetime." Institut für Geologie, Universität Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland Pascal M. Kruttasch Klaus Mezger