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Lakes Boiling With Methane Discovered In Alaska
Science Daily ^ | University of Alaska Fairbanks

Posted on 09/15/2007 4:30:55 PM PDT by blam

Source: University of Alaska Fairbanks
Date: September 15, 2007

Lakes Boiling With Methane Discovered In Alaska

Science Daily — Last month, UAF researcher Katey Walter brought a National Public Radio crew to Alaska’s North Slope, hoping to show them examples of what happens when methane is released when permafrost thaws beneath lakes.

When they reached their destination, Walter and the crew found even more than they bargained for: a lake violently boiling with escaping methane.

“It was cold, wet and windy. We were dropped off in the middle of nowhere by a helicopter and paddled out to a huge methane plume in the middle of the lake with no idea what to expect, how strong the bubbling plume would be, whether or not our raft would stay afloat, how dangerous it would be to breath the gas,” said Walter, an assistant professor in UAF’s Institute of Northern Engineering and International Arctic Research Center. “The violent streams of bubbles made the lake appear as if it were boiling, but the water was pretty cold."

Walter studies methane emissions from arctic lakes, especially the connection between thawing permafrost and climate change. As permafrost around a lake’s edges thaws, the organic material in it--dead plants and animals--can enter the lake bottom, where bacteria convert it to methane, which bubbles into the atmosphere, sometimes in a spectacular fashion. Methane is much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

Walter said this summer’s fieldwork indicates that methane hotspots, such as the one she and the crew experienced, can come from various sources, not just thawing permafrost. Her next goal is to identify and quantify the sources of the methane hotspots around Alaska.

“It is unlikely that this methane plume was related to permafrost thaw,” said Walter, adding that the methane boiling out of the lake was more likely related to natural gas seepage. “Should large quantities of methane be released from methane hydrates, for instance, in association with permafrost thaw, then we could have large sudden increases in atmospheric methane with potentially large affects on global temperatures.”

Walter’s project is one of many at UAF happening as part of the International Polar Year, an international event that will focus research efforts and public attention on the Earth’s polar regions.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by University of Alaska Fairbanks.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alaska; boil; freepun; lakes; methane
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To: blam

Drats! All those endangered caribou walking into the lake and passing gas. Shameful! Just shameful!


21 posted on 09/15/2007 4:50:38 PM PDT by lilylangtree (Veni, Vidi, Vici)
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To: blam

Must be those seacows.


22 posted on 09/15/2007 4:53:42 PM PDT by Post Toasties (It's not a smear if it's true.)
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To: RichInOC

Cthulhu fartin’


23 posted on 09/15/2007 4:55:50 PM PDT by Mountain Troll
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To: blam
Methane is much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

Quick, somebody light a match.

24 posted on 09/15/2007 4:59:00 PM PDT by Rocky
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To: Ole Okie

If it was so cold they should have just flicked a Bic ... all our problems with the methane gas and these reports would have been solved!


25 posted on 09/15/2007 5:00:21 PM PDT by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
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To: blam
Lakes Boiling With Methane Discovered In Alaska

Apparently Alec Baldwin didn't make it all the way to France.

26 posted on 09/15/2007 5:02:37 PM PDT by Caipirabob (Communists... Socialists... Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
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To: blam

Winter is coming soon and it will all freeze up.No big deal unless there is a market for it or we get invaded by methane breathing aliens.


27 posted on 09/15/2007 5:03:45 PM PDT by Eye of Unk
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To: M Kehoe

Imagine that...global warming traced to earth farts and fish farts...quick, paint them all green...(old joke, you know)


28 posted on 09/15/2007 5:05:33 PM PDT by Stayfree (*************************Get your copy of The Fred Factor by David Gill at Capitol Hill Comedy.com)
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To: blam
Just great, now Bush will try and use it as a natural resource.
Bush must be STOPPED! /s
29 posted on 09/15/2007 5:07:44 PM PDT by MaxMax (God Bless America)
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To: RichInOC
It’s not the permafrost melting. Something’s alive down there...and it’s farting.

Cthulhu!

30 posted on 09/15/2007 5:12:39 PM PDT by Charlespg (Peace= When we trod the ruins of Mecca and Medina under our infidel boots.)
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To: Dumpster Baby

Now, that’s a real hoot. Wife and I laughed so much we had tears...


31 posted on 09/15/2007 5:15:42 PM PDT by rusureitflies? (OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD! There, I said it. Prove me wrong.)
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To: John123

And I hope they didn’t light a match to read the maps!


32 posted on 09/15/2007 5:16:13 PM PDT by Larry Lucido (Hunter 2008)
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To: MaxMax

IT’S BUSH’S FAULT!


33 posted on 09/15/2007 5:16:37 PM PDT by stefanbatory
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To: blam

Methane = natural gas.


34 posted on 09/15/2007 5:18:32 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: blam
Image and video hosting by TinyPic
35 posted on 09/15/2007 5:20:32 PM PDT by billorites (freepo ergo sum)
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To: blam

“whether or not our raft would stay afloat”

Good reason to fear. If you happen to be boating over a sudden methane gas release, the bubbles effectively reduce the boyancy of the water. Your ship weighs more than the water and methane bubbles that you displace and you sink.

There is an area off North Carolina that is subject to methane eruptions. Some place in Scotland is an area called the Witch’s hole. Fishing boats are lost when methane eruptions occur and the boats sink and do not come up again.


36 posted on 09/15/2007 5:22:19 PM PDT by Pete from Shawnee Mission
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To: Dumpster Baby

37 posted on 09/15/2007 5:23:12 PM PDT by ErnBatavia (...forward this to your 10 very best friends....)
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To: blam
We were dropped off in the middle of nowhere by a helicopter and paddled out to a huge methane plume in the middle of the lake with no idea what to expect, how strong the bubbling plume would be, whether or not our raft would stay afloat, how dangerous it would be to breath the gas,” said Walter, an assistant professor in UAF’s Institute of Northern Engineering and International Arctic Research Center.

So they didn’t know where they were going, they didn’t know what would be there, didn’t know what the dangers were and had no idea what the hell they were doing...sounds like typical liberals to me.

38 posted on 09/15/2007 5:23:55 PM PDT by Grizzled Bear ("Does not play well with others.")
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To: Dumpster Baby

I hope you lit a match!


39 posted on 09/15/2007 5:24:53 PM PDT by Grizzled Bear ("Does not play well with others.")
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To: John123

Stupid is as stupid does. First, they boat out into an area suspected of venting methane, whereupon had they entered it, the principles of buoyancy allowing their craft to float would have resulted in their sinking. Of course if they didn’t sink, and there was methane there, then the odorless and colorless gas could have caused death by suffocation.


40 posted on 09/15/2007 5:25:16 PM PDT by Cvengr (The violence of evil is met with the violence of righteousness, justice, love and grace.)
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