NSF Org:	OCE Division Of Ocean Sciences
Recipient:	UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
Initial Amendment Date:	July 25, 2022
Latest Amendment Date:	October 14, 2022
Award Number:	2221821
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Gail Christeson gchriste@nsf.gov  (703)292-2952 OCE  Division Of Ocean Sciences GEO  Directorate for Geosciences
Start Date:	August 1, 2022
End Date:	July 31, 2026 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount:	$508,624.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date:	$544,624.00
Funds Obligated to Date:	FY 2022 = $508,624.00 FY 2023 = $36,000.00
History of Investigator:	Harlan Johnson (Principal Investigator) johnson@ocean.washington.edu Nicholas Ward (Co-Principal Investigator) Shima Abadi (Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office:	University of Washington 4333 BROOKLYN AVE NE SEATTLE WA  US  98195-1016 (206)543-4043
Sponsor Congressional District:	07
Primary Place of Performance:	University of Washington WA  US  98195-0001
Primary Place of Performance Congressional District:	07
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):	HD1WMN6945W6
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s):	Marine Geology and Geophysics
Primary Program Source:	01002223DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01002324DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s):	9156, 1620, 9251, 1389, 1312
Program Element Code(s):	162000
Award Agency Code:	4900
Fund Agency Code:	4900
Assistance Listing Number(s):	47.050

ABSTRACT

Methane Venting from the Puget Sound Estuary

Shallow coastal waters found on the margins of continents are areas of active methane emissions to the air. These areas supply a major part of the greenhouse effect responsible for modern climate warming. Recent studies have shown that methane from shallow coastal waters supply half of all methane emissions to the air that in turn produce global warming. Puget Sound is the largest of these inland seas in North America and is a large source of methane to the air. Gas from newly-discovered bubble plumes from the seafloor increases the amount of methane in the Puget Sound seawater. This gas from the seafloor escapes to the air from the sea surface where it becomes a greenhouse gas. Showing the location of the sub-surface deposits of methane in the newly discovered vents is the primary goal of this research project. The amount of methane gas coming from the seafloor will be measured using a robotic instrument called a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). This robotic device will place measuring instruments directly in the path of the methane bubble stream to show the flow speed and capture fluid from the vents. Five students from under-represented communities of color in the university?s Engineering Department will be invited as members of the science party on the ship. This experience will substantially broaden their education experience in marine sciences.

To find the source of methane gas recently discovered venting into Puget Sound seawater, this project will carefully measure changes in the rate of methane gas flowing from the seafloor. The changes in gas and fluid coming from seafloor vents over a six month period will be compared to environmental events that could be causing the flow changes. Examples of events that could cause vent flow changes include unusual water tides, temperature changes due to seasons, passing waves from earthquakes, and unusually large rainfall events in the nearby land. The two research cruises in the program will occur in late Fall 2022 and in Spring of 2023 to see changes in vent flow as the temperature and rainfall vary with the seasons. The shipboard part of the research will use a camera system towed near the seafloor to map the details of the vent field. A small Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) will also capture gas and fluid that is flowing from the seafloor vents using specially constructed sample bottles. The ROV will then place instruments on the seafloor to see variations in the gas flow rate for a six-month period. These captured fluid samples will show whether the methane is coming from deep within the earth or if it is coming as runoff of rain from the nearby land. Data from the research program will be freely available to the public through publication on university websites and placed in the federal archives. University of Washington undergraduates from the Engineering Department?s program for under-represented students of color will take part in both ocean field programs on the ship and during the processing of the data in the laboratory. This firsthand experience at sea and in the laboratory will increase the student?s awareness of marine sciences.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

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