Warmer climate could release large amounts of methane from the ocean floor

Higher temperatures setting off methane release from the ocean

Environmental

By Allie Sanchez

A recently published study from the University of Tromso revealed that the methane stored in the ocean floor could be released into the water and the atmosphere with the warming of the global climate.

Methane is a potent gas that has been identified as one of the culprits of the adverse greenhouse effect, which warms the Earth’s atmosphere at above normal levels.

According to the report, as hydrates melt, methane could be released into the ocean waters and the atmosphere.
Hydrates are crystalline ice structures that serve as storage for methane provided they remain under a high pressure and low temperature atmosphere.

The study further said that the physical attributes of the sediment on the sea floor determine the rate at which methane is released into the ecosystem.

Scientists have observed a profuse leak in Svalbard Norway, with methane flares reported at depths of 90 to 240 meters.
The release of more methane into the atmosphere could further set off a cycle of global warming that could result in further damaging and unpredictable weather patterns.
 

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