Escape of methane gas from the seabed along the West Spitsbergen continental margin

Graham K. Westbrook; Kate E. Thatcher; Eelco J. Rohling; Alexander M. Piotrowski; Heiko Pälike; Anne H. Osborne; Euan G. Nisbet; Tim A. Minshull; Mathias Lanoisellé; Rachael H. James; Veit Hühnerbach; Darryl Green; Rebecca E. Fisher; Anya J. Crocker; Anne Chabert; Clara Bolton; Agnieszka Beszczynska-Möller; Christian Berndt; Alfred Aquilina

doi:10.1029/2009GL039191

Escape of methane gas from the seabed along the West Spitsbergen continental margin

Graham K. Westbrook, Kate E. Thatcher, Eelco J. Rohling, Alexander M. Piotrowski, Heiko Pälike, Anne H. Osborne, Euan G. Nisbet, Tim A. Minshull, Mathias Lanoisellé, Rachael H. James, Veit Hühnerbach, Darryl Green, Rebecca E. Fisher, Anya J. Crocker, Anne Chabert, Clara Bolton, Agnieszka Beszczynska-Möller, Christian Berndt, Alfred Aquilina

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Abstract

More than 250 plumes of gas bubbles have been discovered emanating from the seabed of the West Spitsbergen continental margin, in a depth range of 150400 m, at and above the present upper limit of the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ). Some of the plumes extend upward to within 50 m of the sea surface. The gas is predominantly methane. Warming of the northward-flowing West Spitsbergen current by 1°C over the last thirty years is likely to have increased the release of methane from the seabed by reducing the extent of the GHSZ, causing the liberation of methane from decomposing hydrate. If this process becomes widespread along Arctic continental margins, tens of Teragrams of mediane per year could be released into the ocean.

Original language	English
Article number	L15608
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	36
Issue number	15
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL039191
Publication status	Published - 16 Aug 2009
Externally published	Yes

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Westbrook, G. K., Thatcher, K. E., Rohling, E. J., Piotrowski, A. M., Pälike, H., Osborne, A. H., Nisbet, E. G., Minshull, T. A., Lanoisellé, M., James, R. H., Hühnerbach, V., Green, D., Fisher, R. E., Crocker, A. J., Chabert, A., Bolton, C., Beszczynska-Möller, A., Berndt, C., & Aquilina, A. (2009). Escape of methane gas from the seabed along the West Spitsbergen continental margin. Geophysical Research Letters, 36(15), Article L15608. https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL039191

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title = "Escape of methane gas from the seabed along the West Spitsbergen continental margin",

abstract = "More than 250 plumes of gas bubbles have been discovered emanating from the seabed of the West Spitsbergen continental margin, in a depth range of 150400 m, at and above the present upper limit of the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ). Some of the plumes extend upward to within 50 m of the sea surface. The gas is predominantly methane. Warming of the northward-flowing West Spitsbergen current by 1°C over the last thirty years is likely to have increased the release of methane from the seabed by reducing the extent of the GHSZ, causing the liberation of methane from decomposing hydrate. If this process becomes widespread along Arctic continental margins, tens of Teragrams of mediane per year could be released into the ocean.",

author = "Westbrook, {Graham K.} and Thatcher, {Kate E.} and Rohling, {Eelco J.} and Piotrowski, {Alexander M.} and Heiko P{\"a}like and Osborne, {Anne H.} and Nisbet, {Euan G.} and Minshull, {Tim A.} and Mathias Lanoisell{\'e} and James, {Rachael H.} and Veit H{\"u}hnerbach and Darryl Green and Fisher, {Rebecca E.} and Crocker, {Anya J.} and Anne Chabert and Clara Bolton and Agnieszka Beszczynska-M{\"o}ller and Christian Berndt and Alfred Aquilina",

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doi = "10.1029/2009GL039191",

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Westbrook, GK, Thatcher, KE, Rohling, EJ, Piotrowski, AM, Pälike, H, Osborne, AH, Nisbet, EG, Minshull, TA, Lanoisellé, M, James, RH, Hühnerbach, V, Green, D, Fisher, RE, Crocker, AJ, Chabert, A, Bolton, C, Beszczynska-Möller, A, Berndt, C & Aquilina, A 2009, 'Escape of methane gas from the seabed along the West Spitsbergen continental margin', Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 36, no. 15, L15608. https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL039191

TY - JOUR

T1 - Escape of methane gas from the seabed along the West Spitsbergen continental margin

AU - Westbrook, Graham K.

AU - Thatcher, Kate E.

AU - Rohling, Eelco J.

AU - Piotrowski, Alexander M.

AU - Pälike, Heiko

AU - Osborne, Anne H.

AU - Nisbet, Euan G.

AU - Minshull, Tim A.

AU - Lanoisellé, Mathias

AU - James, Rachael H.

AU - Hühnerbach, Veit

AU - Green, Darryl

AU - Fisher, Rebecca E.

AU - Crocker, Anya J.

AU - Chabert, Anne

AU - Bolton, Clara

AU - Beszczynska-Möller, Agnieszka

AU - Berndt, Christian

AU - Aquilina, Alfred

PY - 2009/8/16

Y1 - 2009/8/16

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AB - More than 250 plumes of gas bubbles have been discovered emanating from the seabed of the West Spitsbergen continental margin, in a depth range of 150400 m, at and above the present upper limit of the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ). Some of the plumes extend upward to within 50 m of the sea surface. The gas is predominantly methane. Warming of the northward-flowing West Spitsbergen current by 1°C over the last thirty years is likely to have increased the release of methane from the seabed by reducing the extent of the GHSZ, causing the liberation of methane from decomposing hydrate. If this process becomes widespread along Arctic continental margins, tens of Teragrams of mediane per year could be released into the ocean.

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VL - 36

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 15

M1 - L15608

ER -

Escape of methane gas from the seabed along the West Spitsbergen continental margin

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