We investigate methane seepage on the shallow shelf west of Svalbard during three
consecutive years, using discrete sampling of the water column, echosounder-based gas
flux estimates, water mass properties, and numerical dispersion modelling. The results
reveal three distinct hydrographic conditions in spring and summer, showing that the
methane content in the water column is controlled by a combination of free gas seepage
intensity and lateral water mass movements, which disperse and displace dissolved�…