Scientists Discover Gas Springs in Haifa Bay Seabed
Rhonda Moniz
November 27, 2012
A new geophysical study in Israel has uncovered a system of active gas springs in the Haifa Bay seabed. Continental Shelf Research, describes the entire system, from its sources under the sea floor through the natural springs emerging from the seabed. "This is a natural laboratory for researching gas emissions from the sea floor -- natural springs and less natural ones. We are only beginning to understand their contribution to climate and ecological change," said Dr. Uri Schattner of the Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences at the University of Haifa, who led the research. The initial discovery came when examining a map of the seafloor off of Israel’s northern coast through a joint effort between the Israel Oceanographic…