'Widespread methane leakage' from ocean floor off US coast

BBC News ^ | 8/24/14 | Matt McGrath

[NormsRevenge]

Researchers say they have found more than 500 bubbling methane vents on the seafloor off the US east coast.

The unexpected discovery indicates there are large volumes of the gas contained in a type of sludgy ice called methane hydrate.

There are concerns that these new seeps could be making a hitherto unnoticed contribution to global warming.

The scientists say there could be about 30,000 of these hidden methane vents worldwide.

Previous surveys along the Atlantic seaboard have shown only three seep areas beyond the edge of the US continental shelf.

[freeangel]

Obama should write himself a law prohibiting the venting.

[wku man]

Oh no! Mother Nature is causing gloBULL warming! Now....how can we tax her?

Weenie in a Hybrid by 10 Pound Test

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[Wicket]

Gonna need a mighty big cork.

[tumblindice]

Who cut the cheese?
USA! USA! USA!

[Blue Collar Christian]

Somebody light a match so I can see where the gas is coming from.

[Salgak]

Gozilla and the other Kaiju obviously do NOT like ManBearPig. . .

[NonValueAdded]

Erf pharts

[thackney]

new seeps

Newly recognized and acknowledged isn't the same as new.

[thackney]

The methane vents are feeding the clathrate beds, not being produced by them.

No, the methane hydrate is beneath the vent while the gas rises up away from the hydrates.

[MortMan]

There are concerns that these new seeps could be making a hitherto unnoticed contribution to global warming.

Funny - I thought there had been a hiatus on global warming (as actually measured) since 1989. The methane seeps apparently aren't up to the job of making the planet warmer!

[Hotlanta Mike]

What we need to outlaw is liberalism, which wants to outlaw manure.

[thackney]

Most of the methane gas dissolves in the ocean before reaching the surface, Ruppel said. The total amount of gas is also much smaller than sources on land, such as cows or gas drilling.

Most be really small, slow rates if most of the gas doesn't even make it to the surface.

[Born to Conserve]

thackney wrote:
“No, blah, blah, blah...”

Carbon is subducted with the ocean beds.
It is heated with other minerals and forms aluminum carbide.
The carbide is exposed to water, and decomposes into aluminum hydroxide and methane.
The methane seeps up to and out vents where it comes into contact with more water, cold and under pressure, and forms clathrates.
The methane saturates the area with clathrates, and the excess bubbles randomly out of the mud over large areas.

Bottom line, the methane that is bubbling up, is bubbling up past the clathrates, not from the clathrates.

Have you read about Dunning Kruger? You should take interest in that.

[Triple]

Bermuda triangle relationship?

[Smokin' Joe]

The methane seeps apparently aren't up to the job of making the planet warmer!

I had a wild-eyed theory that the hydrates degassed when the sea level dropped during Ice Ages (less hydrostatic pressure), and provided enough methane to start the warming cycle.

[P.O.E.]

The earth has been a little bloated around the middle lately.

[thackney]

This occurs in areas far from subduction zones.

But oil/gas deposit are only found in sedimentary sources.

[Repeal The 17th]

If only someone could figure out some way to maybe run some kind of pipe down there to it and then maybe do something to take out some of the liquids ...
-
Oh, wait!

[Born to Conserve]

Seriously, look up Dunning and Kruger.

[thackney]

Seriously, if you have a point to make, state it.

If you want to make veiled personal insults, go somewhere else.