Compositional indices in the sediment of Canakkale (dardanelles) strait, Turkey; Assessment by seafloor expressions

Abstract

The Canakkale Strait (Dardanelles), Turkey is an intricate tanker traffic passage connecting the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara. At the NE exit of the strait to the Sea of Marmara, seismic and side-scan sonar images have shown laterally changing seafloor lithology, submarine gas seeps and small-scale mud chimneys which are not frequently encountered in sea bottom. The objectives of this study, using GC/MS equipment, are to define textural composition and dominant natural compounds in the sediment; and to determine the presence of petroleum refined products if there is any in the seafloor sediments recovered on the shelf area across Thracian and Anatolian shores.