Methane not escaping into the atmosphere from Arctic Ocean [View all]

[OKIsItJustMe]

https://cage.uit.no/news/methane-not-escaping-into-the-atmosphere-arctic-ocean/

[font face=Serif]27/05/2016
[font size=5]Methane not escaping into the atmosphere from Arctic Ocean[/font][center]

[font size=1]Illustration: Torger Grytå[/font][/center]

[font size=4]Methane gas released from the Arctic seabed during the summer months leads to an increased methane concentration in the ocean. But surprisingly, very little of the climate gas rising up through the sea reaches the atmosphere.[/font]

[font size=1]Text: Maja Sojtaric (CAGE) and Christine F. Solbakken (NILU)[/font]

[font size=3]“Our results are exciting and controversial”, says senior scientist Cathrine Lund Myhre from NILU – Norwegian Institute for Air Research, who is cooperating with CAGE through MOCA project.

The results were published in Geophysical Research Letters.

The scientist performed simultaneous measurements close to seabed, in the ocean and in the atmosphere during an extensive ship and air campaign offshore Svalbard Archipelago in summer 2014. As of today, three independent models employing the marine and atmospheric measurements show that the methane emissions from the sea bed in the area did not significantly affect the atmosphere.

“This is an important message to bring to the debate on the state of the ocean and atmospheric system in the Arctic. It is also important to emphasize that the Arctic has in recent years experienced major changes and average temperatures well above normal values. A thorough description of the present state of the Arctic environment, possible only with adequate measurements, is essential to the detection of future changes of potentially global significance.” says Lund Myhre.

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