Undersea Gas Leaks Discovered Off Israel's Coast


Beneath the seafloor in northern Israel's Haifa Bay, a vast system of vents is leaking gassy emissions into the eastern Mediterranean Sea, scientists have discovered. If disturbed, this undersea reserve could disrupt the surrounding marine environment and might even unleash greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

At 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."


[link to www.livescience.com]


To give you an idea where it's at. That way we can keep an eye on it with the earthquakes..
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