Lake boiling with methane...
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.
I have seen Manatee methane too. There was a Manatee named Snooty over in Florida, he swam around in his tank and farted the whole time we watched him. Of course if all you ate was cabbage you would fart constantly too.
Lake boiling with methane...
dude......... you’re on to something.......
I suspect these idiots are trying to blame it on North Slope drilling.
Yep, natural gas contains methane plus some other high flamable compounds as well.
Sadly such is what populates many of our institutions of "higher" learning these days.
I heard, if you bite them, you are called a snark.
Ollllld joke.
Wasn't there some notion that this was possibly the cause for the disappearance of planes and ships in the Bermuda Triangle?
LOL - I was wondering what kind of scientists would row out in to the middle boiling methane gas emissions and "have no idea...how dangerous it would be to breath the gas,” .
hmm - considering the ratio of water to gas in this situation, I would consider getting a gas mask ;o)
scuba diving moose?
I laughed.
Rest secure that our future is in their hands.
BTW, several years ago, actor -- Mike Farrell -- wrote an editorial in the WSJ. He noted that many TV viewers frequently submitted complaints about Judge Judy and other TV judges to their state bar associations. Mike also noted that most people don't understand that these are NOT real judges.
This is just a reminder that you should never give more credit than is due -- even to allegedly smart people like scientists...
Thanks.
AlGore took up scuba diving.
This is a great picture. It brings to mind the old joke where you ask someone to hold their tongue with their fingers and say:
Smart fellow I, I fellow smart
Michael Moore in a hot tub?
Scuba diving cows — maybe?
According to my high school chemistry book, hydrogen sulfide (also a product of your bathroom gases experiment) mixed with water produces sulfuric acid. You’re lucky your legs weren’t dissolved in that mix! Or maybe your nostrils.
LOL!
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