August 5, 2021 ☼ environment ☼ climate ☼ methane
Source: The Washington Post - Link
But now a study by three geologists says that a heat wave in 2020 has revealed a surge in methane emissions “potentially in much higher amounts” from a different source: thawing rock formations in the Arctic permafrost.
The difference is that thawing wetlands releases “microbial” methane from the decay of soil and organic matter, while thawing limestone — or carbonate rock — releases hydrocarbons and gas hydrates from reservoirs both below and within the permafrost, making it “much more dangerous” than past studies have suggested.
This is unexpected and very bad. There are an estimated 20 gigatons of methane locked in rocks and undersea. The feedback loop is very real and very dire.