Vertical methane distribution measurements in the water column of the Ragay Gulf, Philippines. The dataset characterizes mid-water and bottom-water methane plumes between 80 and 100 meters thick, trapped within the main thermocline at depths of 100 to 220 meters. The Australian Ocean Data Network published the data, which was last updated on 2026-05-05.
Use Cases
- Model methane flux to the atmosphere based on reported supersaturation levels (206±16.5%) and estimated sea-air flux (101 nmole.cm-2.y-1).
- Analyze thermogenic methane origin and migration patterns based on geochemical and geological evidence described.
- Compare naturally occurring fossil methane fluxes with anthropogenic or biogenic fluxes from other regions.
- Study the relationship between methane plume distribution and seawater density gradients (temperature-depth proxy).
Strengths
- Provides specific methane supersaturation measurements: average 206±16.5% in the top 5 m at nine locations.
- Includes estimated sea-air flux range: 75-129 nmole.cm-2.y-1.
- Describes plume dimensions: thickness of 80-100 m, confined to depths between 100 and 220 m.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to data_gov_au, focusing on a single gulf.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network
- Collection Method
- Vertical distribution measurements in the water column.
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-05-05 05:21:56.409028; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Ragay Gulf, Philippines archipelago.