Source of Global Warming: Earthquakes Release Methane Under Oceans
■ Scientists from the MARUM Institute at the University of Bremen, the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, and the ETH Zurich have published a study that find earthquakes are releasing massive amounts of methane into the atmosphere to significantly alter the temperature of the planet and change the dynamics of eco-systems across the globe.
■ David Fischer, professor at MARUM, stated: “We started going through the literature and found that a major earthquake had occurred close by, in 1945.
■ Based on several indicators, we postulated that the earthquake led to a fracturing of the sediments, releasing the gas that had been trapped below the hydrates into the ocean.” Earthquakes cause measurable tears in the ocean floor, allowing methane to seep out. By analyzing an 8.1 magnitude earthquake from 1945, researchers concluded that the Nascent Ridge, a shallow reservoir of methane, was opened after the quake.
■ Based on several indicators, we postulated that the earthquake led to a fracturing of the sediments, releasing the gas that had been trapped below the hydrates into the ocean.” Earthquakes cause measurable tears in the ocean floor, allowing methane to seep out. Fischer explained: “The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) calculates the planet’s carbon budget by estimating all possible natural sources of carbon to the atmosphere, and we now provide a new mechanism of carbon export that had not been considered before.”