Title: Methane Discovered Leaking from Antarctic Seafloor Cracks

(NEW YORK) — Researchers have found significant methane emissions seeping from cracks in the Antarctic seafloor. This discovery comes as the region experiences unprecedented warming, according to a study published in Nature Communications. The study indicates that a large reservoir of methane exists beneath ocean floors worldwide, which can escape through fissures in the seabed.

The researchers observed streams of bubbles rising from the seafloor in Antarctica's Ross Sea, located on the continent's northern coast. They described the methane leakage as “seemingly widespread” in the area, rather than a rare occurrence. Numerous seeps of fluid and gas were identified in the shallow coastal regions of Northern Victoria Land and McMurdo Sound, both situated in the Ross Sea. These findings were made using shipboard water column acoustic surveys and Remotely Operated Vehicle surveys.

Methane is considered one of the most concerning greenhouse gases. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has labeled it a “super pollutant.” Methane is responsible for approximately one-third of current human-caused global warming and is 25 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

Researchers noted that oceans and coastlines present the highest uncertainties regarding methane release. They stated, “There is a continued gap between the measured increase in atmospheric methane and the total emissions predicted from currently known methane sources.” The methane leaks appear to occur in ocean areas where fluids rich in hydrocarbons seep through the seabed.

Previous research in the Arctic has identified tens of thousands of methane seeps, many linked to climate change and the degradation of cryospheric caps, such as glacial ice, permafrost, and gas hydrates. The study explains that reducing the weight of ice sheets and glaciers in the Arctic decreases hydrostatic pressure on subglacial hydrate reservoirs, which can enhance methane discharge along the coast.

Greenhouse gases stored in subsea permafrost reservoirs in ice-free regions of Antarctica are also vulnerable to climate change. However, the specific role of methane emissions in Antarctica remains unclear, necessitating further research. The authors emphasized, “The increasing climate impacts in the Antarctic, including the widespread reduction in ice mass, highlight the importance of understanding the current and future dynamics of fluid and gas release from the significant reservoirs predicted in the region.”