Climate Change

[GenesisNemesis]

Active leak of sea-bed methane discovered in Antarctica for first time

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-leak-sea-b...ctica.html

A team of researchers with Oregon State University has confirmed the first active leak of sea-bed methane in Antarctica. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the group describes their trip to Cinder Cones located at McMurdo Sound situated in the Ross Sea, and why they believe it signals very serious repercussions for global warming.

Scientists believe that there is a large amount of methane sealed beneath the ocean floor off the coast of Antarctica. It is believed to have developed from algae decaying beneath the seafloor sediment. And it has likely been there for a very long time. As the planet has warmed, scientists have become concerned that the methane could be released if the waters above it were to warm. And if that were to occur, they fear it would release so much methane that there would be no recovering—the planet would warm beyond our means to survive.