Giant Siberian Craters ARE from Methane

[JesterCS]

http://www.iflscience.com/environment/scientists-think-they-may-have-solved-siberian-crater-mystery

Air samples taken at the bottom of one of the craters that have recently appeared in Siberia seem to support fears that the hole was formed by methane released from melting permafrost. If so this is very bad news for the planet's future, indicating frighteningly high emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas.

[BillZBubb]

1. That's what I expected, and it is very bad news indeed.

I wonder when the deniers will finally pull their heads out of their ....

[awoke_in_2003]

7. they never will. nt

[cilla4progress]

2. I fear we are ushering in our own demise.

Right before our very eyes.

Sorry to the young ones and the wild things.

[tblue37]

3. Unfortunately, we will take all the other oxygen based life down with us. nt

[PSPS]

4. These methane "frenzy" blooms are a very recent phenomenon

As the hydrates melt, the methane literally bubbles out into the air. And the thawed biomass decays producing more methane.

This was predicted for a long time but the trend is happening exponentially faster than even the worst case predictions of only two or three years ago. They used to predict an "ice-free arctic ocean" in the summer by between 2050 (worst case) and 2100 (best case.) However, it is generally accepted now that this will occur next summer (2015.) An unprecedented 97% of the Greenland ice sheet had melting in the summer of 2012.

[liberalla]

5. Thanks for the video - can't watch it now, but am bookmarking.

[cilla4progress]

6. god help us

I live in north central Washington state, which is ablaze and awash in choking smoke. Just like 2 summers ago.

Our July temps were +5 degrees above average. Next year another 5 degrees?

I feel like I'm living on a planet that is not inhabitable by my species. I suppose the wealthy will exit off to another planet, and leave the rest of us here to fight.

Sorry; there is no positive spin.

[tridim]

8. Wouldn't these methane plumes make it fairly easy to capture the methane?

Just looking for the silver lining.

[sue4e3]

9. yes

I was just reading an article that said the government wanted to permit gas company's to investigate that possibility. didn't get the link sorry. If I get a chance I will

[NickB79]

10. Can you accurately predict when and where they'll occur?

Based upon the craters they leave, complete with an ejecta ring, it appears their release is a very sudden, violent process. No time to find and tap them, because BOOM.

You'd have to find a way to find them, drill them and extract the gas before they pop, or build a huge dome over a site and wait till it pops.

[sue4e3]

11. methane levels

would be higher in the soil around an area that was primed to vent. Not to mention the article said that equipment could be used to see deep plumes

[cstanleytech]

12. Correction it should be " Giant Siberian Craters have methane in them"

The cause of them has yet to be determined though it wouldnt surprise me if its the methane thawing that caused them.

[Thor_MN]

13. Dammit. Mammoth farts. Frozen Mammoth farts.

No good can come of this.