Methane fluxes on the water–atmosphere boundary in the Sea of Okhotsk

Abstract

High variability in methane fluxes at the water–atmosphere boundary was found for the first time for the period 1990–2016 using expeditionary data. Variability from absorption to emission with values of more than 5 kg km^–2 day^–1 was found in the whole sea area and over time. Increased emission in the Sea of Okhotsk is associated with distribution areas of through and composite anomalous gas-geochemical gas fields migrating from lithospheric sources. The interannual methane discharge into the atmosphere has an oscillatory seismic dependent nature.