November 2, 2024

“Much More Widespread Than We Thought” – Unexpected Methane Emissions Challenge Climate Change Models

Somewhere beneath the ice, there are formerly unidentified sources of the gas.Demonstrates possibility of prevalent methane emissions” The finding is unexpected and raises a number of crucial questions within this location of research study,” says Associate Professor Jesper Riis Christiansen of the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management.Christiansen, the research study articles co-author, thinks that the finding shows the possibility of methane being present below many of the worlds glaciers, ones that have actually hence far been composed off. And for now, the contribution of methane from ice-covered areas on our planet, consisting of ice sheets and glaciers, isnt increasing,” explains Jesper Riis Christiansen.However, he emphasizes that the measurements can not differentiate between methane from glaciated regions and methane from wetlands. In reality, no one understands how emissions will behave,” states Jesper Riis Christiansen.He hopes that a better understanding of methane habits below glaciers will also help scientists much better understand the mechanisms at play when wetlands launch methane, and thereby contribute to the development of services to eliminate methane from the atmosphere through oxidation– e.g., through the usage of certain soil types.Reference: “Methane emissions from subglacial meltwater of three alpine glaciers in Yukon, Canada” by Sarah Elise Sapper, Christian Juncher Jørgensen, Moritz Schroll, Frank Keppler and Jesper Riis Christiansen, 12 December 2023, Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research.DOI: 10.1080/ 15230430.2023.2284456.

Someplace underneath the ice, there are previously unidentified sources of the gas.Demonstrates possibility of extensive methane emissions” The finding is surprising and raises numerous essential questions within this area of research,” says Associate Professor Jesper Riis Christiansen of the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management.Christiansen, the research posts co-author, believes that the finding shows the possibility of methane being present below numerous of the worlds glaciers, ones that have actually therefore far been written off. And even more unexpected that it takes place to such a degree, that microorganisms start producing methane and we can observe these high methane concentrations in the water flowing out at the glacier edges” states Sarah Elise Sapper. From an international viewpoint, we can determine how much is released into the atmosphere and, roughly speaking, where the methane comes from, utilizing the isotopes found in the climatic methane. And for now, the contribution of methane from ice-covered regions on our planet, including ice sheets and glaciers, isnt increasing,” describes Jesper Riis Christiansen.However, he stresses that the measurements can not differentiate between methane from glaciated regions and methane from wetlands. In reality, no one knows how emissions will behave,” states Jesper Riis Christiansen.He hopes that a better understanding of methane habits beneath glaciers will also help scientists much better understand the systems at play when wetlands launch methane, and thereby contribute to the advancement of options to eliminate methane from the atmosphere through oxidation– e.g., through the usage of specific soil types.Reference: “Methane emissions from subglacial meltwater of 3 alpine glaciers in Yukon, Canada” by Sarah Elise Sapper, Christian Juncher Jørgensen, Moritz Schroll, Frank Keppler and Jesper Riis Christiansen, 12 December 2023, Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research.DOI: 10.1080/ 15230430.2023.2284456.