Sea water prevents the release of ancient methane

Marine sediments are a huge reservoir of greenhouse methane.

Methane hydrates are trapped in ocean sediments near the continents in the methane reservoir. These almost ice-like methane and water structures contain a lot of methane, considered by researchers to be a potential source of energy and also an environmental change agent.

To cope with warming seawater, the source of hydrates can be reduced, releasing methane.

7Katy Sparrow '17 (PhD) and John Kessler collaborate with researchers from many universities, as well as researchers from the US Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to conduct research. fieldwork off the North Coast of Alaska, near Prudhoe Bay where methane emissions in the ocean are caused by ocean warming.

In some parts of the Arctic, even shallow continental regions may be one of the places where methane hydrate is disintegrating due to warming processes over the past 15,000 years. In addition to the source of methane hydrate, the permafrost contains carbon tens of thousands of years old, found throughout the Arctic on land and in marine sediments can also produce methane gas.

The researchers used radioactive vector indicators to trace the source of methane from sediment samples. By using a technique they developed regarding the collection of methane from about 10,000 gallons of sea water for each sample, they discovered a surprising fact: methane originated from the sea. ; but very little emissions into the atmosphere.

They suspect that ancient methane is decomposed by microorganisms in the ocean before it touches the surface of the sea. Mihai Leonte, a doctoral student of Kessler's research group, observed this process through simulation experiments - in which bacteria rapidly decompose methane gas.

Sparrow said: "Our data further suggests that even the increase in methane released from hydrate is due to climate change ."

The results of Sparrow and Kessler explain the origins of ancient methane sources in accordance with the findings of Rochester colleagues, Vasilii Petrenko. Specifically, methane gas from the ancient atmosphere is preserved in ice on the Arctic glaciers.

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