Scientists have discovered for the first time a serious leak of this gas in nature.

Methane is one of the most dangerous greenhouse gases that warms the atmosphere and affects climate change. Greenhouse activity of methane is 28 times stronger than that of carbon dioxide, and in 20-year perspective – 84 times stronger. Scientists believe that this can lead to very serious consequences.

The first active methane leak from the sea floor in Antarctica was discovered by researchers from the University of Oregon during an expedition that crossed the McMurdo Strait in the Ross Sea.

Scientists believe that the ocean floor off the coast of Antarctica is a huge amount of methane, so far reliably held back by the ice. The gas originated supposedly from the decomposition of ancient vegetation and marine organisms that lived there 55 million years ago – at a time when the climate on the continent was favorable.

The first methane leak at the site was seen back in 2011, and now the data have been confirmed.

While there is no obvious reason why methane has begun to be actively released, scientists have linked it to germs that, until now, have held back the release of gas – germs absorb it by moving to where the release begins and prevent the gas from entering the atmosphere. Now the germs have slowed down and are unable to cope with the amount of gas that is emitted.

Source: National Geographic