Rapid Methane Leaks in Antarctica Raise Climate Alarm

5 days ago 32
The Southern Ocean (Antarctica Sea) The Southern Ocean (Antarctica Sea). Credit: Christopher Michel / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0

A accelerated emergence successful methane escaping done cracks successful the seabed disconnected the seashore of Antarctica has alarmed scientists, raising caller concerns that existent clime models whitethorn beryllium underestimating aboriginal warming. The methane leak from the Antarctica sea is occurring astatine a gait researchers did not anticipate, with much than 40 caller seep sites precocious discovered successful the shallow waters of the Ross Sea.

The find comes from an planetary squad of scientists who conducted surveys successful the Southern Ocean utilizing acoustic sensors, remotely operated vehicles, and divers. They explored sites betwixt 16 and 790 feet heavy and reported their findings successful a caller survey published successful Nature Communications.

Researchers noted that galore of the recently detected seeps appeared successful locations antecedently studied, suggesting they formed lone recently. The findings constituent to a imaginable displacement successful however methane is being released successful the region.

Sudden summation raises alarms among researchers

Methane is simply a potent greenhouse gas, trapping astir 80 times much vigor than c dioxide implicit a 20-year period. While seeps are communal successful oceans astir the world, Antarctica was believed to person lone 1 known progressive seep until now.

Sarah Seabrook, a marine idiosyncratic astatine Earth Sciences New Zealand and a co-author of the study, said what was erstwhile considered uncommon is present appearing to beryllium much widespread.

She said the squad was initially excited with each caller discovery, but that feeling was rapidly replaced by interest implicit the implications for climate change.

Divers surveying a methane seep astatine  Cape Evans Divers surveying a methane seep astatine Cape Evans. Credit: Leigh Tait / CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

The origin of the abrupt summation successful methane seeps remains uncertain. However, researchers are examining imaginable links to clime change.

Seabrook noted that akin methane releases successful the Arctic person been connected to warming temperatures, changing oversea levels, and geological shifts caused by the dilatory rebound of onshore since the past Ice Age.

She warned that specified changes tin make a feedback loop, wherever warming triggers methane leaks, which successful crook accelerate clime change.

Next expedition to absorption connected semipermanent impact

Andrew Thurber, a marine biology prof astatine the University of California, Santa Barbara, and co-author of the study, emphasized the urgency of knowing methane’s behavior.

He said methane is rising successful the atmosphere, but scientists inactive bash not afloat recognize the source. Thurber cautioned that if warming continues, Antarctica could displacement from being a unsocial probe situation to a high-risk country for clime instability.

The probe squad is returning to Antarctica adjacent week for a two-month expedition to survey the methane seeps much intimately and measure their imaginable semipermanent impact.

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