Arctic Methane Realease

Joo Pedro Castro N 16 Marcos Sousa N 21

Arctic methane release is the release of methane from seas and soils
in permafrost regions of the Arctic. Whilst a long-term natural process, it may be exacerbated by global warming. This results in a positive feedback effect, as methane is itself a powerful greenhouse gas.

The Arctic region is one of the many natural sources of the greenhouse gas methane. Global warming may accelerate its release, due to both release of methane from existing stores. According to R. A. Kerr, while methane release is indeed likely to amplify global warming to an unknown level, fears that it could lead

to catastrophe are possibly overblown.

Scientists have identified thousands of sites in the Arctic where

methane that has been stored for many millennia is bubbling into the atmosphere. Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas after CO2 and levels are rising after a few years of stability. There are many sources of the gas around the world, some natural and some man-made, such as landfill waste disposal sites and farm

animals.

Contribuition to climate change

The release of methane from the Arctic is in itself a contributor to global warming as a result of polar amplification. Recent observations in the Siberian arctic show increased rates of methane release from the Arctic seabed.

Land-based permafrost, also in the Siberian arctic, was also recently

observed to be releasing large amounts of methane, estimated at over 4 million tons significantly above previous estimates.