Global rates of continental margin gas hydrate dissociation and seafloor methane seepage have varied through geological history, with current conditions yielding greater than expected methane release and substantial carbon export into the ocean. Methane seepage impacts the marine environment in numerous ways, such as creating distinctive geomorphology, supporting chemosynthetic communities, and modifying interstitial and water column biochemistry. Hydrocarbon seeps are complex, highly dynamic, and respond rapidly to external perturbations. Despite recent advances, numerous questions still challenge our understanding of their governing processes and impact across a wide range of spatiotemporal scales.

This multidisciplinary session seeks contributions advancing our understanding of cold seeps systems and their impact on the marine environment. We welcome contributions on active and fossil cold seep systems including, but not limited to, hydrate dynamics, subsurface fluid migration, biogeochemical cycling, chemosynthetic ecosystems, and bubble streams in the water column. Field, laboratory, theoretical, and numerical simulation approaches are welcome.