Methane Clathrate-Permafrost
Methane Clathrate –Permafrost
John
Burton
March 15,02
Global Warming – How serious is the danger of a massive release of the
methane that is now present in large amounts as frozen cathrate
underground in the northern tundra and at the bottom of the oceans? In
several 1990 books this was described as a potential catastrophe so I
looked for later viewpoints. Some references to this in the literature:
An increase in high latitude temperatures could result in a significant
release of methane from the melting of permafrost and decomposition of
methane hydrates. Quantifying the magnitude is difficult. Time scales for
thawing the permafrost , located between a few centimeters to meters
below the surface could take decades or centuries. One study estimated
the flux from hydrate decomposition could reach 100 Tg of methane
within a century. CLIMATE CHANGE The IPCC Scientific Assessment 1990
“Changes in climate that have already taken place are manifested in the
decrease and extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice, permafrost thawing ,
…..”“Climate change in polar regions is expected to be among the largest
and most rapid of any region on the earth…..” IBID Jan. 2001 One
positive feedback is the release of methane from the very large reservoirs
of methane trapped in sediments in a hydrate form mostly at high
latitudes. Methane has been generated from the decomposition of of
organic matter present in these sediments over many millions of years.
Because of the depth of the sediments this feedback is unlikely to
become operative to any significant extent during the next century
Global Warming by John Houghton, co-chairman of the Scientific
Assessment Working Group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change 1997 Massive quantities of methane could be released from that
trapped in permafrost offshore and onshore in polar regions. Significant
warming in the high latitudes could conceivably release this . The liklihood
is unknown; climate change could lead to drying out of wetlands and this
could stabilize or reduce methane emissions.David Schimel in BLOBAL
WARMING The Greenpeace Report 1990 Global warming could spur a
natural release in greenhouse gas emissions by thawing permafrost in
high latitude regions. By some estimates, a sudden increase in methane
emissions from this permafrost might contribute about as much global
warming potential as the loss of ice and snow in the polar regions. The
world would get warmer faster.
THE GREENHOUSE GAMBIT Business and Investment Responses to
Climate Change A Publication of the Environmental Research Service
Douglas Cogan 1992 One methane worry is speculative. If the world gets
warm enough for the permafrost to melt, there is the possibility of a
sudden burp of methane with the result of a much more serious warming
to follow. FIRE AND ICE The Greenhouse Effect David Fisher 1990
John
Burton
March 15,02
Global Warming – How serious is the danger of a massive release of the
methane that is now present in large amounts as frozen cathrate
underground in the northern tundra and at the bottom of the oceans? In
several 1990 books this was described as a potential catastrophe so I
looked for later viewpoints. Some references to this in the literature:
An increase in high latitude temperatures could result in a significant
release of methane from the melting of permafrost and decomposition of
methane hydrates. Quantifying the magnitude is difficult. Time scales for
thawing the permafrost , located between a few centimeters to meters
below the surface could take decades or centuries. One study estimated
the flux from hydrate decomposition could reach 100 Tg of methane
within a century. CLIMATE CHANGE The IPCC Scientific Assessment 1990
“Changes in climate that have already taken place are manifested in the
decrease and extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice, permafrost thawing ,
…..”“Climate change in polar regions is expected to be among the largest
and most rapid of any region on the earth…..” IBID Jan. 2001 One
positive feedback is the release of methane from the very large reservoirs
of methane trapped in sediments in a hydrate form mostly at high
latitudes. Methane has been generated from the decomposition of of
organic matter present in these sediments over many millions of years.
Because of the depth of the sediments this feedback is unlikely to
become operative to any significant extent during the next century
Global Warming by John Houghton, co-chairman of the Scientific
Assessment Working Group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change 1997 Massive quantities of methane could be released from that
trapped in permafrost offshore and onshore in polar regions. Significant
warming in the high latitudes could conceivably release this . The liklihood
is unknown; climate change could lead to drying out of wetlands and this
could stabilize or reduce methane emissions.David Schimel in BLOBAL
WARMING The Greenpeace Report 1990 Global warming could spur a
natural release in greenhouse gas emissions by thawing permafrost in
high latitude regions. By some estimates, a sudden increase in methane
emissions from this permafrost might contribute about as much global
warming potential as the loss of ice and snow in the polar regions. The
world would get warmer faster.
THE GREENHOUSE GAMBIT Business and Investment Responses to
Climate Change A Publication of the Environmental Research Service
Douglas Cogan 1992 One methane worry is speculative. If the world gets
warm enough for the permafrost to melt, there is the possibility of a
sudden burp of methane with the result of a much more serious warming
to follow. FIRE AND ICE The Greenhouse Effect David Fisher 1990