arctic ocean methane

[Old Rocks]

The news from the Arctic Ocean is not good.

Extensive Methane Venting to the Atmosphere from Sediments of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf -- Shakhova et al. 327 (5970): 1246 -- Science

Science 5 March 2010:
Vol. 327. no. 5970, pp. 1246 - 1250
DOI: 10.1126/science.1182221
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Reports
Extensive Methane Venting to the Atmosphere from Sediments of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf
Natalia Shakhova,1,2,*, Igor Semiletov,1,2,* Anatoly Salyuk,2 Vladimir Yusupov,2 Denis Kosmach,2 Örjan Gustafsson3

Remobilization to the atmosphere of only a small fraction of the methane held in East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS) sediments could trigger abrupt climate warming, yet it is believed that sub-sea permafrost acts as a lid to keep this shallow methane reservoir in place. Here, we show that more than 5000 at-sea observations of dissolved methane demonstrates that greater than 80% of ESAS bottom waters and greater than 50% of surface waters are supersaturated with methane regarding to the atmosphere. The current atmospheric venting flux, which is composed of a diffusive component and a gradual ebullition component, is on par with previous estimates of methane venting from the entire World Ocean. Leakage of methane through shallow ESAS waters needs to be considered in interactions between the biogeosphere and a warming Arctic climate.

1 International Arctic Research Centre, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99709, USA.
2 Russian Academy of Sciences, Far Eastern Branch, Pacific Oceanological Institute, Vladivostok 690041, Russia.
3 Stockholm University, Bert Bolin Centre for Climate Research and Department of Applied Environmental Science, Stockholm S-10691, Sweden

 

[ScienceRocks]

Be it natural or man caused, methane is a far more powerful green house gas and if a good portion of this got released, be it for natural or man caused reasons; I believe it could have a effect. Co2 compared to methane is like a ant compared to t-rex in overall strength. Some effect can be possible mostly because co2 traps very little of the "heat"/energy compared to what it allows to get out. Almost a joke as a green house gas. But methane is a respectable green house gas.

There was a time when I believed that we where on the edge of a ice age. In which we should be very close looking at the last million years of climate data, but I believe today that we have a few more thousand years before we have another today. I believe that the climate right now is very stable like it was 4-7 thousand years ago. Who, knows.