Methane frozen beneath Arctic seabed destabilising, scientists warn

[Subdivisions]

Huge quantities of methane below the Arctic seabed are showing signs of destabilising, according to research conducted in the East Siberian Sea.

Scientists aboard Russian icebreakers have discovered that methane is leaking from the sub-sea permafrost far faster than had been previously estimated, raising concerns that climatic tipping points may have been reached.

As a greenhouse gas, methane is 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide but emissions from subsea permafrost are not included in climate change prediction models.

“The sub-sea permafrost should act as a cap or seal, preventing leakage,” Natalia Shakhova, of the University of Alaska, told The Times. “Beneath it there is methane that has accumulated at high pressure. But the permafrost is losing its ability to be an impermeable cap.”

...snip...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7050312.ece

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This is not good. Not good at all...

[yawnmaster]

1. A question some might ask, is this causing the recent earthquakes? eom

[liberal N proud]

2. Methane gas from thawing permafrost causes earthquake

That is if I say, A stretch!


:rofl:

[MineralMan]

3. Some would answer: That's a crock of crap.

Some say a lot of things. We hear that what some say is bullshit. I read that somewhere.

[Canuckistanian]

6. OMG, all those earthquakes are disturbing all those methane bubbles

I'm off to write a research paper....

[Alias Dictus Tyrant]

8. You mean recent burritos: violent shaking followed by a gas release.

[yawnmaster]

11. So have you all heard of the butterfly effect?

In a non-linear system a butterfly flapping its wings in Europe may cause a hurricane over Florida.
So who is to say a fart might not do a similar thing, but with earthquakes, and then, if so,
then a methane release of this magnitude (much larger than a fart) would most assuredly cause some kind of earthquake.

[Dr.Phool]

13. I just released some methane.

Witnesses thought it was an earthquake.

It moved my seat.

[wackywaggin]

4. Gas hydrates

Make up more than half of the Earth's organic comounds such as methane trapped on the ocean floor reseblimng a white ice type of cage like structure. If these are being released at a substantial rate it should be of enormous concern to all of us.

Heretic Wack :0(

[BrklynLiberal]

5. Very bad news....for the survival of hoomans on this planet

[Coventina]

7. The older I get, the more I become a Nihilist

Stories like this just make me want to eat the barrel....

[mindwalker_i]

9. Mother Earth's gonna pass gas...

And Republicans will keep denying it long after they can't breathe. Dumbasses.

[DLnyc]

10. Technically speaking,

we is fucked.

[itsrobert]

12. It's going to blow and push Earth off its Axis

Cheney's House will be the new North Pole and hell will have truly frozen over.

[JVS]

14. yahoooo