Ever thought ice-cold Antarctica could be bubbling with trouble? ❄️🌊 A recent Earth Sciences New Zealand statement says methane seeps around the Ross Sea are multiplying fast, and scientists are on high alert.
Methane is no joke – it traps about 80 times more heat than CO2 over 20 years. That's like having a secret greenhouse gas on overdrive under the ocean floor. Seep sites are spots where methane escapes from underground reservoirs, forming streams of bubbles all the way to the surface 🌐💭.
Since the first seep was spotted by chance in 2012, researchers have now mapped over 40 new sites in shallow coastal waters of the Ross Sea (just 5-240 meters deep). At places like Cape Evans, teams using remotely operated vehicles and even ice divers found dozens more bubbling hotspots – turning what seemed like a calm frozen frontier into a dynamic, changing system.
Here's why it matters: if these Antarctic seeps behave like others around the world, there could be a sudden spike of methane into the atmosphere not yet included in climate models. Imagine a surprise guest at your climate party – one who heats up the room way faster than expected. 🤯🌡️
The research crew plans to head back this season, but melting sea ice is already making some zones off-limits. The big question now is: what will Antarctica's coastal environment look like in 5-10 years if these seeps keep emerging? Stay tuned – this is climate science happening live, and it's bubbling up fast.
Reference(s):
Rapid increase of Antarctic methane seeps raises climate concerns
cgtn.com
