Massive new source of leaking methane gas emissions discovered

These frozen bubbles of methane gas are eerily beautiful, but don’t let appearances fool you. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that is often overshadowed by carbon dioxide in discussions on climate change, even though the impact of methane is far more serious.

The effects of industrial pollution, car emissions, deforestation and agriculture are usually central when we consider the forces driving climate change.

However, researchers have now uncovered an unexpected and significant source of methane emissions, hidden beneath the icy landscapes of the Arctic.

Methane is a potent climate driver

As powerhouse greenhouse gas, methane doesn’t get as much attention as carbon dioxide. However, it’s way more potent – about 80 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere over 20 years.

Methane comes from natural sources like wetlands and termites, but human activities crank up emissions big time.

Livestock, landfills, and oil and gas operations release massive amounts of methane into the air. Cows, for example, burp out methane as they digest food (yep, cow burps are a real climate problem).

Meanwhile, leaks from fossil fuel extraction and pipelines quietly pump methane into the atmosphere, making the issue even worse.

The problem? Methane doesn’t stick around as long as CO₂ – only about 12 years – but in that short time, it does serious damage.

Cutting methane emissions could quickly slow global warming, making it one of the fastest ways to fight climate change.

Investigating methane leaks from glaciers

Gabrielle Kleber and Leonard Magerl, postdoctoral researchers from UiT, The Arctic University of Norway’s iC3 (Centre for Ice, Cryosphere, Carbon, and Climate), have discovered that Arctic glaciers are not as innocent as they may seem.

Beneath their icy veneer, these glaciers are leaking substantial amounts of methane into the atmosphere.

This revelation stems from studies conducted at Vallåkrabreen, a small valley glacier that is situated in central Svalbard.

Glaciers and methane levels

The researchers measured methane levels in groundwater springs and the melt river that drains from the glacier. The findings were remarkable.

The methane levels in the melt river were found to be up to 800 times higher than the equilibrium level in the atmosphere, hitting a peak concentration of 3,170 nanomolar early in the melt season.

“We expected to see some methane in the meltwater, but the concentrations we measured were surprisingly high,” explained Gabrielle, highlighting the unexpected magnitude of the problem.

“Our isotopic analysis showed that this methane is geologic in origin and is released as the glacier retreats and glacial meltwater flushes through fractures in the rock.”

Interestingly, the source of this methane was not microbial activity beneath the ice, which had been suspected in research in other glacial settings.

Instead, the methane originated from ancient geological formations, and had been trapped in the region for millions of years.

Methane and “glacial fracking”

The further the researchers ventured into their investigation, the more they discovered about the role of glaciers in methane emissions.

The scientists have likened the process to a natural form of fracking, coining the term “glacial fracking” to describe this phenomenon, whereby the glaciers essentially act as colossal covers that bury methane under the ground.

However, as they melt, the water flushes the gas through cracks in the bedrock, ushering the methane above ground and into the atmosphere.

This process is not limited to just one glacier.

The researchers estimated that similar mechanisms could be in effect at hundreds of other glaciers across Svalbard, with over 1,400 land-terminating glaciers situated on the archipelago, many of which overlie methane-rich bedrock.

Climate feedback loop

The implications of this research extend far beyond Svalbard as well, to the broader Arctic region and, indeed, the whole planet.

The Arctic is experiencing warming at a rate four times the global average, and its glaciers are retreating at an alarming pace.

As they shrink, more methane could be released, setting up what scientists call a positive feedback loop, where warming accelerates glacial melting, setting free more methane, which then intensifies warming and further melting.

“Methane is a much more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide over short timescales. Even though these emissions are seasonal, they could add up as more glaciers retreat,” warned the research team, emphasizing the potential global climate repercussions.

What’s next for glaciers and methane?

These findings highlight the importance of understanding the Arctic carbon cycle and the impact climate change has on it.

Future research will aim to reassess methane budgets in the Arctic, incorporating glacial emissions alongside permafrost thaw and wetland methane fluxes.

While this study represents a significant first step, more research is needed in order to discern the full scale of the problem.

The full study was published in the journal Biogeosciences.

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