Study rules out ancient bursts of seafloor methane emissions

CORVALLIS, Ore.

…If only 10 percent of that seafloor methane were to be released in a few years, it could be the equivalent of a 10-fold increase in the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide, the researchers said in their report. And 12,000 years ago, methane levels went up 50 percent in less than 200 years, according to studies by Brook and others. Researchers wanted to know why.

“There are hundreds to thousands of times more methane trapped in seafloor deposits than there is in the atmosphere, and it’s important that we know whether it’s stable and is going to stay there or not,” Brook said. “That’s a pretty serious issue.”

Eurekalert