Over 600 Methane Plumes Found In Atlantic Ocean Floor
Over 600 Methane Plumes Found In Atlantic Ocean Floor: Scientists Discover Seeps That Spew CH4
When it comes to unlocking the secrets of earth, scientists have never backed off and the new discoveries always give us more data about the state of the world and its possible future. There is always an unknown factor operating as we do not fully understand the planet we are living in as well as what it is contained in.
Coming closer to understanding this unknown factor, researchers have found methane plumes across the ocean-floor in the Atlantic. Methane is considered one of the most toxic gases in the GHG bouquet. Methane is said to be 20 times deadlier than carbon dioxide. Scientists have detected the plumes of methane bubbles off the East Coast in the US very recently. One of the chief researchers conducting the study Carolyn Ruppel has indicated that the spot where more than 600 plumes were discovered is old and cold indicating that these plumes may have existed for a long time now.
What is also being debated following this research which scanned the ocean floor above 94,000 sq km between the years 2011 and 2013 is that the plumes could penetrate methane rich ice and melt it leading to release of as much as 90 tons of methane into the environment.
Where only 3 seeps had previously been found, there are now over 600 and they are concentrated in 8 different areas across the slope break or where the sea floor slopes towards the Atlantic Basin. Sound-waves were used to detect the methane bubbles and map the ocean-floor. This is a technique called multi beam-sonar and it is used to calculate the time and distance taken for the sound-waves to reach the ocean-floor and rebound.
The difference between gas bubbles and seawater can also be found using this method. The scientists conducting the study also found around 75% of the seeps were from depths on the sea floor where methane rich ices could be decomposing because ocean temperatures are rising. However, scientists have assured that the methane seeps will not cause GHG emissions to rise as the gas will dissolve in the ocean itself and not reach the surface. But what the methane can do is react with dissolved oxygen in the water to create carbon dioxide which acidifies ocean waters.
Moreover, scientists are still trying to explore the reason behind the sudden rise in the number of methane seeps from the year 2012. "It's a huge research area that needs to be pursued," Ruppel has been quoted as saying.
Scientists are also estimating that if hundreds of methane pits are in the East Coast, there could be thousands more in the world's ocean. Lead researcher Adam Skarke who conducted the study has been quoted as saying “These processes may be happening in places we didn't expect them".
Studying how methane hydrates respond to climate change is important because methane is the GHG that disappears quickly yet has way more warming power than the carbon dioxide. CH4 could be released by rapid warming in the Arctic and trigger climate change on a massive scale. Living so precariously in a world that is unpredictable is a challenge in itself. Fortunately, scientists are working to ask the right questions and get all the answers humanity needs to survive.
