'Microbe Waterfall': First active methane leak discovered in Antarctica seafloor

For first time, scientists have discovered an active leak of methane gas from seafloor in Antarctica and described it as ‘microbial waterfall’. According to a study published in journal Proceedings of Royal Society B, scientists believe that re is a massive amount of methane stored below ocean floor in Antarctica. Marine ecologist Andrew Thurber, who is an assistant professor at Oregon State University and co-author of study, said that he was ‘immediately enamoured’ after seeing white patches on ocean floor, which were basically clusters of tiny organisms drawn to methane leak. 

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that accelerates climate change and warms planet much more than carbon dioxide, however, scientists said that re is evidence of climate change behind Antarctica methane seep. y ted that global warming could cause permafrost to thaw and release methane long trapped within. Although, researchers also added that if methane reaches atmosphere it could exacerbate global warming. 

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study informed that methane leak was first discovered in 2011 and it took five years for microorganisms that help filter away gas to develop at site. While atmospheric levels of methane have been rising due to human activities including agriculture and oil and gas drilling, scientists ted that microbes which consume gas before it can rise through water into air will t help mitigate human-caused emissions, which account for at least half methane in atmosphere. 

Source of methane leak remains unkwn 

With recent discovery, study ted that in previous researches natural underwater methane seeps have focused on depths of 200 to 600 meters, where gas passes through ‘a lot of microbial mouths’ before it can reach atmosphere. However, seep in Antarctica was a mere 10 metres down, which has put methane on a fast track to surface. Thurber said that with only 10 metres, methane can make it into atmosphere and start becoming a potential player in methane budgets. 

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While researchers said that ultimate source of this methane leak remains unkwn, however, believe that recent findings would deepen ir understanding of way that methane is consumed and released in Antarctica. scientists said that fact that leak had been identified in region before is w hindering understanding of processes that regulate release of Antarctica’s methane. 

Thurber said, "We need to view se as systems that don’t respond in a matter of days or an hour or a month but on time scale of years. As years start to add up, that becomes something that may potentially impact our ability to predict our future planet”. 

(Im: Andrew Thurber/Oregon State University)

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