Siberian Ice Boosts Atmospheric Methane

The escape of greenhouse gas methane into the atmosphere looks like it might be happening more rapidly than previously thought, a group of scientists have said. An odourless, colourless compound made up of carbon and hydrogen, methane is known to be a significant contributor to the greenhouse effect, but it is also effective at storing solar rays (approximately 20 times better at doing this than carbon dioxide/CO2, in fact).

A group of Alaskan scientists spearheaded by Igor Semiletov have been monitoring Arctic gas levels for several decades as part of the wider ISSS (International Siberian Shelf Study) project. As of 2009, “methane release from the East Siberian Shelf is underway and it looks stronger than it was supposed [to have been - based on previous data]”, Semiletov stated in comments made to the BBC.

Atmospheric Methane Concentration

Historically, the Siberian seabed has represented a storage site for both methane and CO2, but the concern now is that the area is releasing methane both into the air and into the water at a greater rate than before, destabilising the region. A higher atmospheric methane concentration, say scientists, could be linked to advanced climate change, and the whole scenario then becomes a vast vicious circle – with higher temperatures causing more undersea permafrost to release more methane, more methane gathering in the atmosphere and so on.

What could happen at worst - say Semiletov and his colleagues – is that this vicious circle reaches fever pitch and methane is released in unprecedented volumes, mirroring past historical events: previous large-scale methane releases may have contributed to the dying out of certain species.

A recent report carried out by NOAA (the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration) highlights how, between 2000 and 2007, temperatures in Siberia increased an average four degrees over their average for the whole of the previous three decades. This rise tops any other recorded localised temperature increase, and the impact on the ice is causing gathered carbon reserves to escape where gaps have been created. Before now, it was believed that the ocean absorbed the majority of the gas, but Semiletov’s research disproves this, suggesting instead that the methane is going straight into the atmosphere (the permafrost is not that far below the surface).

Methane in the Atmosphere

According to fellow researcher Professor Orjan Gustafsson, the level of methane in the atmosphere in Siberia is up to 1,000 times over usual levels, but –speaking to the BBC – he stressed that additional research was required to discover the precise source of the methane releases. “It is important now to understand how fast it is being released and how much is being released”, he explained.

Separate research indicates that permafrost holds a total of 1,600 billion tonnes of carbon – approximately double the total atmospheric concentration of CO2. This, if allowed to escape in its entirety, could devastate Earth, scientists warn.

See also:

Climate Change Releasing Arctic Methane

Methane to Store Wind and Solar Power

LA Methane Emissions Double Previous Estimates