Specialized life forms abound at Arctic methane seeps

Cold seeps are places where hydrocarbons, mostly methane, emanate from the sea floor. Unlike the hydrothermal vents, the fluids and bubbles are no hotter than the surrounding seawater, thus the name.

Arctic Ocean methane does not reach the atmosphere

250 methane flares release the climate gas methane from the seabed and into the Arctic Ocean. During the summer months this leads to an increased methane concentration in the ocean. But surprisingly, very little of the climate ...

Retreat of the ice followed by millennia of methane release

Scientists have calculated that the present day ice sheets keep vast amounts of climate gas methane in check. Ice sheets are heavy and cold, providing pressure and temperatures that contain methane in form of ice-like substance ...

Are gas hydrates a source of environmentally friendly energy?

Gas hydrate is also known as the ice that burns. And everything that burns releases energy. A lot of energy is stored in hydrates: a cubic meter of methane hydrate, for example, compresses as much as 168 m3 of natural ...

Ocean currents impact methane consumption

Large amounts of methane - whether as free gas or as solid gas hydrates - can be found in the sea floor along the ocean shores. When the hydrates dissolve or when the gas finds pathways in the sea floor to ascend, the methane ...

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