SWERUS-C3: First observations of methane release from Arctic Ocean hydrates
SWERUS-C3 scientists, participants in Crosstalks on “Adventurous field work in the name of science”, have discovered vast methane plumes escaping from the seafloor of the Laptev continental slope during the current expedition to the Arctic. These early glimpses of what may be in store for a warming Arctic Ocean could help scientists project the future releases of the strong greenhouse gas methane from the Arctic Ocean.
See the film of methane bubbles coming up from the seafloor.
“This was somewhat of a surprise,” writes chief scientist Örjan Gustafsson, on his blog from the expedition. He speculates that the leaking methane from the seafloor of the continental slope may have its origins in collapsing “methane hydrates,” clusters of methane trapped in frozen water due to high pressure and low temperature.
Click here to find more information on the discovery.
