The story of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere may turn serious faster than anybody had imagined!

(The Galactic Times) Methane is found in large quantities as Methane Hydrate in relatively shallow sediment range in oceans generally between 300-500 meters. Outside this range it can become unstable - e.g. the Bermuda Triangle mystery. About 400 Gigatons of similar Carbon deposits are buried under Arctic tundra while no estimates exist for the resources for Antarctica. The estimated total reserves for methane hydrates range from 500 to 2,500 Gigatons. The serious question is what happens to the 400 Gigatons methane hydrate in Arctic when the earth gets warmer? Now this may have started to happen...

ScienceDaily (Dec. 18, 2008) — A team led by International Arctic Research Center scientist Igor Semiletov has found data to suggest that the carbon pool beneath the Arctic Ocean is leaking.

The results of more than 1,000 measurements of dissolved methane in the surface water from the East Siberian Arctic Shelf this summer as part of the International Siberian Shelf Study show an increased level of methane in the area. Geophysical measurements showed methane bubbles coming out of chimneys on the seafloor.

“The concentrations of the methane were the highest ever measured in the summertime in the Arctic Ocean,” Semiletov said. “We have found methane bubble clouds above the gas-charged sediment and above the chimneys going through the sediment.”

The new data indicates the underwater permafrost is thawing and therefore releasing methane. Permafrost can affect methane release in two ways. Both underwater and on land, it contains frozen organic material such as dead plants and animals. When permafrost thaws, that organic material decomposes, releasing gases like methane and carbon dioxide. In addition, methane, either in gas form or in ice-like methane hydrates, is trapped underneath the permafrost. When the permafrost thaws, the trapped methane can seep out through the thawed soil. Methane, a greenhouse gas 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, is thought to be an important factor in global climate change.

If the 400 Gigatons of methane hydrate under Arctic sea bed would really get freed the impact would be the same as an increase of CO2 by a factor of 20 in the atmosphere!