Subsea methane release documented

[andygates]

You know that theory about how methane's trapped under permafrost and it could be a Bad Thing if it was to be released?  Well, it looks like it's happening.

Orjan Gustafsson of Stockholm University, in an Independent article:  "An extensive area of intense methane release was found [in the Laptev Sea, North of Siberia]. At earlier sites we had found elevated levels of dissolved methane. Yesterday, for the first time, we documented a field where the release was so intense that the methane did not have time to dissolve into the seawater but was rising as methane bubbles to the sea surface. These 'methane chimneys' were documented on echo sounder and with seismic [instruments]."

"The conventional thought has been that the permafrost 'lid' on the sub-sea sediments on the Siberian shelf should cap and hold the massive reservoirs of shallow methane deposits in place. The growing evidence for release of methane in this inaccessible region may suggest that the permafrost lid is starting to get perforated and thus leak methane... The permafrost now has small holes. We have found elevated levels of methane above the water surface and even more in the water just below. It is obvious that the source is the seabed."

Oh, crap.

Comments

[ravenbait.livejournal.com]

See, you guys can talk secure socket layers, co-ax cables and TCP/IP protocol. Me, I know about atmospheric emissions, plagues, death, famine, oceanic-atmospheric forcing, climate modelling and How Humans Are Fucking Themselves In The Ass With A Twelve Inch Black Mamba.

And yet you guys get paid more than me. How does that work?

[andygates.livejournal.com]

If humans were smart enough to grok what environmental scientists are worth, it would be smart enough to pull the mamba out of its collective ass before any serious reaming took place.

[(Anonymous)]

I suppose another reason that the scientists don't get listened to is they're all fill of predictions and doom but:

As a producer, I notice that not many of them [science-types] come up with stuff that keeps my business afloat. That keeps sales going across counter in a profitable or economically sustainable manner.

And if the sales ain't there, then personally I'm broke. So while you might have your utopia, I'd be the one sleeping under the bridge - as will all those whose livelihoods depend on my business paying its bills and so on through the economical cycle.

Perhaps if I wasn't paying 35% of available funds to the government and a pretty large wad of notes to the local council to provide libraries and roading (and bridges to sleep under) then I might have funds to pursue some of the scientists expensive pipedreams.

You want environmental sustainability?
Then you'd better cook up something economically sustainable.
Else no one will (can) afford to buy it (literally)!

[andygates.livejournal.com]

They're not predictions of doom, they're predictions of what will probably happen.

I hate when the general unedumacted public confuse science for opinion. :(

[thudthwacker.livejournal.com]

I really don't know, but if you figure it out, tell the teachers.