Okay, can someone explain this to me?

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   Cagsilposted 12 years ago

   Hey Hubbers,
   
   I'm willing to trust some of the folks and their knowledge from past experiences, so please explain to me, so I don't have to go searching through countless websites, just to get an idea?
   
   I realize that this article is limited and I also realize that it can be harmful, but what about the environment itself?
   
   http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/gi … 04179.html
   
   Giant plumes methane bubbling surface arctic ocean?
   
   Is this something normal? Or more dangerous?

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      lobobrandonposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      It's normal when it's not in that quantity.. It's totally dangerous. If it could be tapped however it would be useful especially in the days of decreasing petroleum - I have no clue as to whether or not it's feasible though

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      Larry Fieldsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Ho hum, more Scare-of-the-Month-Club twaddle. I have a Jurassic dial-up modem, and it takes forever to access videos or large numbers of pictures; so I won't be looking at the 'horror' show.
      
      On the ocean floor, there are vast quantities of methane clathrates, aka methane hydrates. These are ice-like 'inclusion compounds' of methane and H2O. Their non-optimal distribution  may or may not prevent us from exploiting them in the future as a source of natural gas on a commercial scale.
      
      Anyway, start with seafloor clathrates. Then throw in a dash of magma wending its way towards the ocean floor. Voila! Now we have 'planet-wrecking' plumes of relatively harmless methane. However if your ship is directly over one of these plumes, I'd recommend turning off the engine, and putting your cigarettes away for the duration. And forget about cooking on the propane stove; use the microwave instead.
      
      I realize that this has Global Warming implications for those who believe in that particular 21st Century superstition. And no, I don't work for Big Oil. I'm not the world's greatest team player. And even with my academic background in analytical chemistry, they probably wouldn't want me.
      
      For the scientifically inclined, I'd suggest measuring the methane release rate in the plumes, and comparing that to the much larger global rate of CH4 release by evil termites. Oops, I keep forgetting that only humans are evil.
      
      Now let's suppose that the plumes are actually a threat to 'Mother Gaia'. Mitigating that threat would be easy. Drop flares from high-flying aircraft, and aim for the bubbles.
      
      That said, I probably won't be getting lucky tonight.

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         Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you Larry for your input.

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   Pcunixposted 12 years ago

   Deeply worrisome.
   
   Possibly even life threatening. 
   
   But the conservatives will still be denying global warming as we lie gasping our last breaths. It makes me so angry.

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   Cagsilposted 12 years ago

   Thank you PC and lobo. I'm clueless on the subject, which was why I was looking for some of our more scientific knowledgeable hubbers to weigh in.

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      Pcunixposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Here is a different view http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/ … lypse-not/

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      Pcunixposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      And another less comforting http://www.independent.co.uk/news/scien … 76278.html

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         Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you for the links.

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   Pearldiverposted 12 years ago

   Cags... Do some reading on Fracking ie: Oil/Gas Exploration using Hydro-Fracturing techniques. 
   
   I'm sure you will find the parallel to here! 
   
   It is effectively cracking the earths' shell - expanding the natural capillaries by pumping Water (and Chemical Agents) into them under extreme pressure - then holding those newly created tracks open via the use of an extremely toxic concoction of 'fillers' - channeling the gases and petro-chemical mix - distilling it - Dumping the residual waste back into the environment!
   It Fducks the water table, the earths' stability and creates minor earthquakes!
   But they claim it is safe!
   
   For a Few Fducken Bucks!
   
   Actually... Just Ask the Shoshoni and Comanchi Indians... how safe it is... and why the Government (when taking their land) ensured that ALL Subterrain in the US was open to such violation!  Even the NY Brownstones!   AND Dodger Stadium!

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      Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you PD.

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   livelongerposted 12 years ago

   Methane is a greenhouse gas, which apparently traps heat much more than even carbon dioxide.
   
   The melting ice threatens to accelerate the liberation of trapped methane, accelerating global warming.

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      Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you appreciate your input.

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      Pcunixposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Exactly.  But as we have already seen, those who want us to keep on polluting will be denying this until we all die from their ignorance.
      
      Also - accelerating the warming means releasing more methane.  Death spirals possible..

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   Pcunixposted 12 years ago

   Also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clathrate_gun_hypothesis
   
   "Focusing on the Permian-Triassic boundary, Gregory Ryskin [1] explores the possibility that mass extinction can be caused by an extremely fast, explosive release of dissolved methane (and other dissolved gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide) that accumulated in the oceanic water masses prone to stagnation and anoxia (e.g., in silled basins)."
   
   But who cares?  So we all die - at least some of us will die rich!

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   tom hellertposted 12 years ago

   All,
   
   Shakhova and Semiletov, whose earlier analysis of methane in the region was published in Science last year. Sadly G-warmers thsee authors of their  "findings" have some other things to say about it the alleged methane theory hokum... here is their enlightening reply-
   The reply from Semiletov and Shakhova -(authors the original enlightening and fanciful- discovery about methane and sea bottoms/ice etc.
   We would first note that we have never stated that the reason for the currently observed methane emissions were due to recent climate change.
   
   In fact, we explained in detail the mechanism of subsea permafrost destabilization as a result of inundation with seawater thousands of years ago.
   
   source: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/12/27/q … te-change/
   
   S the authors themselves are not cofident in the finding being all globalwarming supportive  so why should I-
   I can go on if need be with other Globalwarming a hoax items if need be
   TH

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   Shadesbreathposted 12 years ago

   I think the real problem is that people are trying to pretend they understand something they don't. "Climate change" is real, sure. But it's also been going on for literally billions of years. So, as usual, humans being the arrogant creatures that they are, they place themselves (or some do anyway) at the center of everything, claiming credit for greatness (good or bad greatness), and just generally assume that our presence on Earth matters to any degree that registers beyond something we can sell.
   
   In fact, for many we're so amazing, anything we can't explain can only be credited to magical or supernatural beings. It has to be that, because for there to be any other reason for our inability to explain pretty much everything would suggest we're just are not as important as we want to be. Who want's to be meaningless, right? (And it's way too much work to make meaning for yourself. You'd actually have to DO stuff.) But, at the very least, gods or no gods, we are so important we can "destroy the planet." LOL. Like Earth will even burp during the time it takes for all of us to die.
   
   Every generation has always been "the one" that was going to "usher in the new age" or mark the "pinnacle of humanity" before it dies. Every single one. Just read some history and it's endless. There were people at all times in human history doing the Chicken Little dance, and, at the same time, more doing the Beginning of a New Age preaching thing. You just have to pick which piece of drivel you want to read and decide if we're the beginning of the important thing or the end of it. Either way, we're not.
   
   We're not as important a species as we wish we were. People need to get over themselves.

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      tom hellertposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      SHADES,
      You are right every generation is the last since well probably forever - why should this be any different?
      Its just now I here in the USA can read about a guy in India, one in Peru and a third in Jordans theory on why  EHIS IS THE END.....*CUE DRAMATIC MUSIC*  So until I see the holy pillars of fire,see the news stories of the planet killer meteor coming in or the aliens come back and are pissed- I'm not gonna sweat it. Besides what can I a half blind disabled geologist can do to save the world??? If its time its time
      TH

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