The moon can affect how much methane is released off the coast of the Arctic Ocean, a new study has found.
Tides, which are controlled by The moon, Affect how much methane is released from coastal silt: lower tides mean less pressure and more methane release, while higher tides create more pressure, and therefore less methane emissions.
The research was conducted in the west-Svalbard region of the Arctic, with findings published in the journal Oct. 9 Nature Communications.
“This is the first time this observation has been made in the Arctic Ocean. This means that slight pressure changes can significantly release methane. This is a game-changer and the study’s greatest impact,” said study co-founder Joachen Nice, Arctic Gas. The marine geologist at the Center for Hydrate, Environment and Climate (CGG) said in a statement.
Related: 10 signs Earth’s atmosphere is far from the railway
Methane is Greenhouse gas, Which contributes global warming Trapped in the atmosphere and catching heat. Huge methane deposits can be heard below the ocean floor, and ocean temperatures are expected to unlock some of the trapped methane. So understanding how tides affect these seafloor methane emissions is important for future climate forecasts.
To find this tidal effect, the team measured the pressure and temperature inside the sediment and found that the gas level near the coast rises and falls with the tide.
Using a permanent monitoring tool they were able to identify methane release in an area of the Arctic Ocean where it had not been seen before.
“This tells us that we can see the release of gas from the coast more than traditional sonar surveys,” CAG’s marine geologist and geologist, Andrea Plaza Faverola, said in a statement.
Their findings suggest that scientists are underestimating greenhouse gas emissions in the Arctic.
“What we found was unpredictable and the effects are huge. This is a deep deep water space. Small changes in pressure can increase gas emissions but methane will still remain in the ocean due to the depth of the water. But what happens in shallow places?” It also needs to occur in water, over a long period of time. In shallow water, methane is more likely to reach the atmosphere, ”Nice said.
This newly discovered phenomenon also raises questions about how sea levels and sea temperatures rise. Climate change, Will contact. Because higher tides reduce methane emissions, it is possible that as sea levels rise, which comes with higher tides, the risk of rising gas emissions due to rising seas can be partially offset.
Published on Original Living Science.
