6. Methane Bubbles in Arctic Seas Stir Warming Fears

Arctic Sea Ice loss 1979 to 2007

Methane Bubbles in Arctic Seas Stir Warming Fears

by Alister Doyle, Evironmental Correspondent on March 4th 2010

"Current methane concentrations in the Arctic are the highest 400,000 years."

"Subsea permafrost is losing its ability to be an impermeable cap"

Natalia Shakova (Scientist)

Total of 5,000 Sites where Methane is being released from, and some is said to be coming from the seabed. Until releasing discovered, the sea floor was considered a barrier preventing the methane from escaping.

GLOBAL WARMING

Martin Heimann (Biochemist) claims that the 8 million tonnes of Methane being released is "negligible" compared to the 440 million tonnes in Global EMISSIONS. He states, "These leaks could have been occurring all the time."

Shakova states "urgent need" to watch over the Arctic since "Methane" is the second most common greenhouse gas. Also if monitoring is done, we can see if it was a steady event or a freak event.

Other Articles on the Issue:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100304/sc_afp/usenvironmentclimatewarming;_ylt=Asbk.m8oHsbbk_NqXfuW2i9pl88F;_ylu=X3oDMTMyODBvNWp0BGFzc2V0A2FmcC8yMDEwMDMwNC91c2Vudmlyb25tZW50Y2xpbWF0ZXdhcm1pbmcEcG9zAzQEc2VjA3luX3BhZ2luYXRlX3N1bW1hcnlfbGlzdARzbGsDaHVnZW1ldGhhbmVs

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100304/ap_on_sc/us_sci_climate_methane;_ylt=ArJmDFiG4KrPoZPYVtpNki5pl88F;_ylu=X3oDMTJzNHFkZTk4BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwMzA0L3VzX3NjaV9jbGltYXRlX21ldGhhbmUEcG9zAzcEc2VjA3luX3BhZ2luYXRlX3N1bW1hcnlfbGlzdARzbGsDbWV0aGFuZXNlZW5h

References:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100304/sc_nm/us_climate_methane

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMQ21p93JZc