* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Saturday, May 24, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Elizabeth Hurley Will Be ‘Deceased’ on New Reality Show The Inheritance – Yahoo

    Elizabeth Hurley Takes a Bold Turn in New Reality Show ‘The Inheritance

    SRM Entertainment Announces $5 Million Private Placement – GlobeNewswire

    SRM Entertainment Secures $5 Million Investment to Fuel Growth!

    Embracer intends to spin off Coffee Stain Group by the end of 2025, with remaining business rebranded as Fellowship Entertainment – GamesIndustry.biz

    Embracer intends to spin off Coffee Stain Group by the end of 2025, with remaining business rebranded as Fellowship Entertainment – GamesIndustry.biz

    San Jose eyes creation of entertainments zones with FIFA World Cup, Super Bowl LX on the horizon – The Mercury News

    San Jose Sets Its Sights on Exciting Entertainment Zones Ahead of FIFA World Cup and Super Bowl LX!

    Wilmington’s future of fun: 5 recreation and entertainment spaces planned in the Port City – Wilmington Star-News

    Exciting Developments Ahead: 5 New Recreation and Entertainment Spaces Coming to Wilmington!

    Jason Momoa Is Done With Peace in Apple’s ‘Chief of War’ Teaser – Yahoo

    Jason Momoa Embraces Chaos in Gripping Teaser for Apple’s ‘Chief of War’

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Nike cuts some jobs in technology division – Reuters

    Nike Streamlines Workforce: Job Cuts in Technology Division

    InfiMotion Technology launches TL 300 integrated drive system – Automotive Powertrain Technology International

    InfiMotion Technology Unveils Game-Changing TL 300 Integrated Drive System!

    Aera Technology Debuts Decision Intelligence Skill to Navigate Shifting Tariff Dynamics Across Value Chains – Silicon Canals

    Unlocking Success: Aera Technology Launches Innovative Decision Intelligence Skill to Tackle Evolving Tariff Challenges in Value Chains

    Auditory Processing and Psychosocial Improvements with Remote Microphone Technology: An Evidence Review – The Hearing Review

    Unlocking Sound: How Remote Microphone Technology Enhances Auditory Processing and Boosts Psychosocial Well-Being

    Quadient and Nuvei Forge Strategic Technology Partnership – Finovate

    Quadient and Nuvei Forge Strategic Technology Partnership – Finovate

    Novotech Honored with Triple Win in 2025 Pharmaceutical Technology Excellence Awards – Morningstar

    Novotech Celebrates Triple Triumph at the 2025 Pharmaceutical Technology Excellence Awards!

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Elizabeth Hurley Will Be ‘Deceased’ on New Reality Show The Inheritance – Yahoo

    Elizabeth Hurley Takes a Bold Turn in New Reality Show ‘The Inheritance

    SRM Entertainment Announces $5 Million Private Placement – GlobeNewswire

    SRM Entertainment Secures $5 Million Investment to Fuel Growth!

    Embracer intends to spin off Coffee Stain Group by the end of 2025, with remaining business rebranded as Fellowship Entertainment – GamesIndustry.biz

    Embracer intends to spin off Coffee Stain Group by the end of 2025, with remaining business rebranded as Fellowship Entertainment – GamesIndustry.biz

    San Jose eyes creation of entertainments zones with FIFA World Cup, Super Bowl LX on the horizon – The Mercury News

    San Jose Sets Its Sights on Exciting Entertainment Zones Ahead of FIFA World Cup and Super Bowl LX!

    Wilmington’s future of fun: 5 recreation and entertainment spaces planned in the Port City – Wilmington Star-News

    Exciting Developments Ahead: 5 New Recreation and Entertainment Spaces Coming to Wilmington!

    Jason Momoa Is Done With Peace in Apple’s ‘Chief of War’ Teaser – Yahoo

    Jason Momoa Embraces Chaos in Gripping Teaser for Apple’s ‘Chief of War’

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Nike cuts some jobs in technology division – Reuters

    Nike Streamlines Workforce: Job Cuts in Technology Division

    InfiMotion Technology launches TL 300 integrated drive system – Automotive Powertrain Technology International

    InfiMotion Technology Unveils Game-Changing TL 300 Integrated Drive System!

    Aera Technology Debuts Decision Intelligence Skill to Navigate Shifting Tariff Dynamics Across Value Chains – Silicon Canals

    Unlocking Success: Aera Technology Launches Innovative Decision Intelligence Skill to Tackle Evolving Tariff Challenges in Value Chains

    Auditory Processing and Psychosocial Improvements with Remote Microphone Technology: An Evidence Review – The Hearing Review

    Unlocking Sound: How Remote Microphone Technology Enhances Auditory Processing and Boosts Psychosocial Well-Being

    Quadient and Nuvei Forge Strategic Technology Partnership – Finovate

    Quadient and Nuvei Forge Strategic Technology Partnership – Finovate

    Novotech Honored with Triple Win in 2025 Pharmaceutical Technology Excellence Awards – Morningstar

    Novotech Celebrates Triple Triumph at the 2025 Pharmaceutical Technology Excellence Awards!

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

Ticking Methane Time Bomb: The Alarming Migration of Natural Gas Under Permafrost

December 24, 2023
in Science
Ticking Methane Time Bomb: The Alarming Migration of Natural Gas Under Permafrost
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Natural Gas Migrating Under Permafrost

Scientists have discovered that methane trapped under Svalbard’s permafrost can escape, risking a warming cycle. Frequent methane accumulations found in wellbore studies highlight the potential for increased global warming as the permafrost thaws. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

Scientists say vast quantities of methane may be trapped beneath the permafrost, and it could escape if it thaws.

Studies in Svalbard have shown that methane is migrating beneath the permafrost. While lowland regions have ice-rich permafrost which acts as an effective seal to the gas, highland regions with less ice seem to be more permeable. If the permafrost thaws too much, greenhouse gas emissions could escape and drive temperatures even higher.

Beneath Svalbard’s permafrost, millions of cubic meters of methane are trapped — and scientists have now learned that it can migrate beneath the cold seal of the permafrost and escape. A large-scale escape could create a cycle of warming that would send methane emissions skyrocketing: warming thaws the permafrost, causing more gas to escape, allowing more permafrost to thaw and more gas to be released. Because Svalbard’s geological and glacial history is very similar to the rest of the Arctic region, these migrating deposits of methane are likely to be present elsewhere in the Arctic.

“Methane is a potent greenhouse gas,” said Dr. Thomas Birchall of the University Center in Svalbard, lead author of the study in Frontiers in Earth Science. “At present the leakage from below permafrost is very low, but factors such as glacial retreat and permafrost thawing may ‘lift the lid’ on this in the future.”

Cold Storage

Permafrost, ground that remains below zero degrees Celsius for two years or more, is widespread in Svalbard. However, it isn’t uniform or continuous. The west of Svalbard is warmer due to ocean currents, so permafrost there tends to be thinner and potentially patchier. Permafrost in the highlands is drier and more permeable, while permafrost in the lowlands is more ice-saturated. The rocks beneath are often fossil fuel sources, releasing methane which is sealed off by the permafrost. However, even where there is continuous permafrost, some geographical features may allow gas to escape.

The base of the permafrost is hard to study because of its inaccessibility. However, over the years, many wellbores have been sunk into the permafrost by companies looking for fossil fuels. The researchers used historical data from commercial and research wellbores to map the permafrost across Svalbard and identify permafrost gas accumulations.

“I and my supervisor Kim looked through a lot of the historical wellbore data in Svalbard,” said Birchall. “Kim noticed that one recurring theme kept coming up, and that was these gas accumulations at the base of the permafrost.”

Discovering Methane Accumulations

Initial temperature measurements are often compromised by heating the drilling mud to prevent the wellbore from freezing. However, observing the trend of temperature measurements and monitoring boreholes in the long term allowed the scientists to identify permafrost. They also looked for ice forming within the wellbore, changes in the drill cuttings produced while drilling the wellbore, and changes in background gas measurements.

The wellbore monitors identified gas influxes into the wellbore, indicating accumulations beneath the permafrost, and abnormal pressure measurements which showed that the icy permafrost was acting as a seal. In other cases, even where the permafrost and underlying geology were suitable for trapping gas, and the rocks were known sources of hydrocarbons, no gas was present — suggesting that the gas produced had already migrated.

An Unexpectedly Frequent Finding

The scientists emphasized that gas accumulations were much more common than expected. Of 18 hydrocarbon exploration wells drilled in Svalbard, eight showed evidence of permafrost, and half of these struck gas accumulations.

“All the wells that encountered gas accumulations did so by coincidence — by contrast, hydrocarbon exploration wells that specifically target accumulations in more typical settings had a success rate far below 50%,” said Birchall. “These things seem to be common. One anecdotal example is from a wellbore that was drilled recently near the airport in Longyearbyen. The drillers heard a bubbling sound coming from the well, so we decided to have a look, armed with rudimentary alarms designed for detecting explosive levels of methane — which were immediately triggered when we held them over the wellbore.”

Implications for Climate Change

Experts have shown that the active layer of permafrost — the upper one or two meters that thaws and re-freezes seasonally — is expanding with the warming climate. However, we know less about how the deeper permafrost is changing, if at all. Understanding this is dependent on understanding the fluid flow beneath the permafrost. If the consistently frozen permafrost grows thinner and patchier, this methane could find it ever easier to migrate and escape, possibly accelerating global warming and exacerbating the climate crisis.

Reference: “Permafrost trapped natural gas in Svalbard, Norway” by Thomas Birchall, Malte Jochmann, Peter Betlem, Kim Senger, Andrew Hodson and Snorre Olaussen, 30 October 2023, Frontiers in Earth Science.
DOI: 10.3389/feart.2023.1277027

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : SciTechDaily – https://scitechdaily.com/ticking-methane-time-bomb-the-alarming-migration-of-natural-gas-under-permafrost/

Tags: methanescienceTicking
Previous Post

The Cosmic Forge: How Ancient Stars Crafted Elements Beyond Earth’s Reach

Next Post

New Study: Immune Cells Move More Independently Than Previously Thought

Two Artists Capture Australia’s Ecology in a Bird – Hyperallergic

Two Artists Capture Australia’s Ecology in a Bird – Hyperallergic

May 24, 2025
LO-Play Camp At Science Center – Daily Sitka Sentinel

LO-Play Camp At Science Center – Daily Sitka Sentinel

May 24, 2025
The assault on American science – The Economist

The assault on American science – The Economist

May 24, 2025
Osprey nest welcomes new hatchlings; check out the story, live cam! – KOAM News Now

Exciting New Beginnings: Watch Osprey Hatchlings Live from Their Nest!

May 24, 2025
Ask the Developer Vol. 18: Mario Kart World — Part 1 – Nintendo

Revving Up the Fun: Exploring the Mario Kart World – Part 1

May 24, 2025
China’s economy slows in April as trade war blues hit retail sales, housing and investment – AP News

China’s economy slows in April as trade war blues hit retail sales, housing and investment – AP News

May 24, 2025
HOMETOWN ENTERTAINMENT: The “I Want My ‘80s Tour” coming to Elmwood Park – WDBJ

Get Ready to Rock: The “I Want My ‘80s Tour” Hits Elmwood Park!

May 24, 2025
World Health Assembly extends Global Strategy on Digital Health to 2027 – MobiHealthNews

World Health Assembly Expands Global Digital Health Strategy Through 2027!

May 24, 2025
Two Israeli Embassy staffers shot and killed outside Jewish Museum in DC – CNN

Tragic Shooting: Two Israeli Embassy Staffers Killed Outside DC Jewish Museum

May 24, 2025
Nike cuts some jobs in technology division – Reuters

Nike Streamlines Workforce: Job Cuts in Technology Division

May 24, 2025

Categories

Archives

May 2025
MTWTFSS
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031 
« Apr    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (635)
  • Economy (647)
  • Entertainment (21,559)
  • General (15,230)
  • Health (9,688)
  • Lifestyle (652)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (650)
  • Politics (655)
  • Science (15,870)
  • Sports (21,156)
  • Technology (15,635)
  • World (637)

Recent News

Two Artists Capture Australia’s Ecology in a Bird – Hyperallergic

Two Artists Capture Australia’s Ecology in a Bird – Hyperallergic

May 24, 2025
LO-Play Camp At Science Center – Daily Sitka Sentinel

LO-Play Camp At Science Center – Daily Sitka Sentinel

May 24, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version