Russian scientists have discovered a previously unknown mechanism of influence of salts migration on the degradation of gigantic intra permafrost gas (methane) hydrate reserves in the Arctic Shelf.
Russian scientists have discovered a previously unknown mechanism of influence of salts migration on the degradation of gigantic intra permafrost gas (methane) hydrate reserves in the Arctic Shelf. The results of their study were published in Geosciences journal.
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and one of the major global climate change drivers. Following many years of observation in the Arctic region, Russian scientists eventually found that the East Siberian Arctic Shelf is one of the largest sources of methane emissions, which not only expedite global warming and upset the Earth’s carbon balance, but also cause accidents hindering economic activity in the Arctic, which is one of the most promising hydrocarbon production regions. So it comes as no surprise that RAS President, Alexander Sergeyev, has placed high priority on exploring the reasons for methane emissions from the East Siberian Arctic Shelf.
A large part of methane escapes into the atmosphere due to the decomposition of gas hydrates ‒ crystalline compounds formed from gas and water at low temperature and high pressure. Clusters of gas hydrate crystals resemble an ice mass that can just about be considered a gas in solid state, with a unit volume of gas hydrate containing up to 160-180 volumes of pure gas. Gas hydrates that formed thousands of years ago under favorable natural conditions may start dissociating into gas and water (in other words, “thawing”) if the natural environment is no longer conducive to their sustainable existence.
Read more at Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (SKOLTECH)
Image Source: http://www.arctic-info.ru
