MEFISTO

Hydrothermal versus microbial MEthane release From very shallow coastal systems: can differently sourced emISsions directly escape intO the atmosphere?

Defining the actual contribution of the marine coastal areas to the atmospheric methane (CH₄) budget is the main project goal of “MEFISTO – Hydrothermal versus microbial MEthane release From very shallow coastal systems: can differently sourced emISsions directly escape intO the atmosphere”

The project, coordinated by the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics – OGS and developed in cooperation with the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology – INGV, is financially supported by the European union through the “Fund for the National Research Programme and Research Projects of Significant National Interest (PRIN)” in the framework of the NRRP – Next Generation EU Mission 4 “Education and Research”.

The scarcity of data concerning CH₄ fluxes in coastal areas negatively affects the exact calculation of this greenhouse gas atmospheric budget, whose accuracy Is vital for verifying potential reductions in emissions linked to the adoption of effective climate mitigation strategies. In fact, CH₄ released from coastal seafloor can escape directly into the atmosphere by rapidly bypassing the water column through bubble transport.

MEFISTO is specifically focused on reducing uncertainties in the estimation of natural CH₄ fluxes in such environments. The study, combining classical physical, chemical, and molecular methods with innovative hydroacoustic approaches, aims to assess which forcings favour or prevent the release of this gas into the atmosphere in two Italian shallow coastal areas: a seepage zone recently identified in the Gulf of Trieste and centred on the Bardelli outcrop (Northern Adriatic Sea) and the hydrothermal vent area off the Panarea Island (Aeolian Archipelago, Southern Tyrrhenian Sea).

PIANO NAZIONALE DI RIPRESA E RESILIENZA (PNRR) MISSIONE 4 “Istruzione e ricerca”, COMPONENTE 2 “Dalla ricerca all’impresa”, INVESTIMENTO 1.1 “Fondo per il Programma Nazionale di Ricerca e Progetti di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale (PRIN)”