Dozens of New Methane Seeps Discovered in Ross Sea, Raising Concerns of Accelerated Global Warming

Strategic Insights -

Researchers have discovered dozens of new methane seeps littering the ocean floor in the Ross Sea coastal region of Antarctica, raising concerns of an unknown positive climate feedback loop that could accelerate global warming. These potent greenhouse gas seeps could be caused by global warming and threaten to accelerate it further. A new study published in the journal Nature Communications on October 1 found the patches of leaking gas in shallow regions of the Ross Sea, a bay off the southern coast of Antarctica.

Key Takeaways:

  • The discovery of dozens of new methane seeps in the Ross Sea coastal region of Antarctica raises concerns of a positive climate feedback loop that could accelerate global warming.
  • Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is leaking out of the Antarctic seafloor in dozens of places, scientists have discovered.
  • The seeps could be caused by global warming and threaten to accelerate it further, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Communications.
  • Methane is a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere by absorbing outgoing radiation, with 80 times more potency than carbon dioxide over the first 20 years.
  • The study found that the seeps are located between 16 feet and 787 feet below the icy surface of the Ross Sea.
  • The researchers studied areas that have been regularly surveyed for decades, indicating that the seeps must be a new feature.
  • It is unclear how much methane might be leaving Antarctica and reaching the atmosphere, nor how much remains trapped beneath its thawing ice.
  • The researchers recommend coordinated, international efforts to urgently study the seeps.

Statistics:

  • 80: The number of times more potent methane is than carbon dioxide in the first 20 years it's in the atmosphere.
  • 60%: The proportion of methane emissions that come from human activities such as farming and burning fossil fuels.
  • 40%: The proportion of methane emissions that come from natural sources.
  • 16 feet: The minimum depth at which the seeps were found, below the icy surface of the Ross Sea.
  • 787 feet: The maximum depth at which the seeps were found, below the icy surface of the Ross Sea.
  • 10 years: The time frame in which the shallow coastal environment of Antarctica may change dramatically due to the emergence of new seeps.

Sources:

  • Azertag
  • Azernews, reporting on Live Science
  • Nature Communications
  • Earth Sciences New Zealand
  • Study lead author Sarah Seabrook.