A Massive Methane Reservoir Is Lurking Beneath the Sea
Scientists have found a methane reservoir below the permafrost seabed of the Laptev Sea a reservoir that could suddenly release large amounts of the potent greenhouse gas. 27 April 2021
Methane bubbles regularly reach the surface of the Laptev Sea in the East Siberian Arctic Ocean (ESAO), each of them a small blow to our efforts to mitigate climate change. The source of the methane used to be a mystery, but a joint Swedish-Russian-U.S. investigation recently discovered that an ancient gas reservoir is responsible for the bubbly leaks.
Methane in the Laptev Sea is stored in reservoirs below the sea’s submarine permafrost or in the form of methane hydrates solid ice-like structures that trap the gas inside. It is also produced by microbes in the thawing permafrost itself. Not all of these sources are created equal: Whereas microbial methane is released in a slow, gradual process, disintegrating hydrates and reser
Academic library leaders concerned about diversity, equity, inclusion insidehighered.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from insidehighered.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
E-Mail
IMAGE: Using Sandia National Laboratories longstanding expertise in probabilistic modeling and machine learning algorithms from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, the researchers determined the probability of finding methane hydrate off the. view more
Credit: Image courtesy of William Eymold/Sandia National Laboratories
RALEIGH, N.C. Methane hydrate, an ice-like material made of compressed natural gas, burns when lit and can be found in some regions of the seafloor and in Arctic permafrost.
Thought to be the world s largest source of natural gas, methane hydrate is a potential fuel source, and if it melts and methane gas is released into the atmosphere, it is a potent greenhouse gas. For these reasons, knowing where methane hydrate might be located, and how much is likely there, is important.
Submarine Permafrost Has Been Overlooked as a Major Source of Greenhouse Gases, Scientists Warn yale.edu - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from yale.edu Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
International Research Team Begins Uncovering Arctic Mystery Details
Share This
Something lurks beneath the Arctic Ocean. While it’s not a monster, it has largely remained a mystery.
Something lurks beneath the Arctic Ocean. While it’s not a monster, it has largely remained a mystery.
According to 25 international researchers who collaborated on a first-of-its-kind study, frozen land beneath rising sea levels currently traps 60 billion tons of methane and 560 billion tons of organic carbon. Little is known about the frozen sediment and soil called submarine permafrost even as it slowly thaws and releases methane and carbon that could have significant impacts on climate.