Methane Hydrates, A Weather Timebomb?

The fire that destroyed the British Petroleum operated oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico, ultimately resulting in a massive release of oil into the Gulf, has once again put a spotlight on one of the biggest questions associated with weather, and specifically with the possible consequences of warming oceans. The question is about methane hydrates, and what effect increasing ocean temperatures could have on their stability, and on the possible release of vast amounts of methane, an extraordinarily powerful greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.


That explosive BP fire may, some feel, have been triggered by methane from methane hydrates, an icy substance composed of methane and other gases frozen in a mixture at the bottom of the sea. Heat generated by cement being used to seal the well is thought to be the source of energy that warmed the hydrates, releasing the gas. The gas, it is suggested, then burst upward and ignited, starting a fire that eventually brought down the entire platform.

The dramatic set of events in the Gulf gave a hint of the potential power and risks posed by the warming of methane hydrates, found in many parts of the world’s oceans. Any significant warming of the ocean could allow the release of huge amounts of methane, the combustible nature of which is only a part of the problem. The more serious fact is that methane is one of the most effective greenhouse gases known, perhaps 10-20 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

Some researchers believe that a release of gas from methane hydrates 55 million years ago was responsible for turning an initial warming into a runaway overheating of the earth, resulting in a large scale extinction, primarily of large or aquatic animals and plants.

The heating created a world that was remarkably different than our own. Neither the north or south pole regions would have had any ice, the temperature of the arctic ocean could have approached a balmy 70 F. While organisms in many parts of world faced extinction, Antarctica would have become lush and green. As atmospheric temperatures around the world rose by approximately 10 F, and ice melted, sea levels rose. Evaporation increased, putting more moisture into the air, which often fell out near the poles, reducing the density of the saltwater there. Ocean circulation changed, accelerating ocean warming. The effects were rapid enough that many life forms failed to adapt.

Eventually, life was able to adjust and then recover, though only after more than 100,000 years, and is thought by some to itself be a key factor in the eventual reduction in global temperatures.

Given all this, it’s little wonder that scientists looking at the BP accident are interested in more than just the effect of oil leakage. It gives them a disquieting opportunity to learn more about what could be a ticking timebomb for the world’s weather.

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