August 20, 2008 14:30 PM

Methane Discharges In The Arctic Pose Threat To Earth's Climate

VLADIVOSTOK, Aug 20 (Bernama) -- Methane discharges in the permafrost break-up process in the Arctic pose a threat to the entire terrestrial climate, Russian news agency, Itar-Tass, reported.

This hypothesis, put forward by scientists at the Pacific Oceanology Institute (POI) of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences is being corroborated by this year's research, Igor Semiletov, participant in a research expedition, and staff member of the POI Arctic Research Laboratory, reported by telephone from board the hydrographic research vessel "Yakov Smernitsky" on Wednesday.

Specialists from the United States and Sweden had also participated in this research.

"Yet another POI expedition is currently at work in the Arctic, along with our's. The expedition members are exploring the Lena River mouth, where we discovered abnormally high concentrations of methane last year.

"POI researchers have already carried out 47 studies and confirmed as follows: the concentration of methane in water and the atmosphere increases at a rapid pace, which is indicative of the break-up of permafrost on the shelf of Arctic seas," Semiletov said.

This confirms the Russian scientists' hypothesis that greenhouse gas emissions in the Arctic can cardinally influence the Earth's climate, Semiletov pointed out.

"The obtained results will be validated once again when the Yakov Smernitsky will conduct additional research in the Lena River mouth in several weeks' time. However, already now one can say with confidence that the Arctic is one of the main 'suppliers' of greenhouse gases," Semiletov said.

The expedition aboard the vessel Yakov Smernitsky set out from Kirkiness port three days ago. The main task of the scientists on board is to reveal the boundaries of the underwater part of permafrost on the Arctic shelf and carry on the study of methane discharges into the atmosphere.

Within a period of 50 days the expedition is to traverse the entire Northern Sea Route. The fullest research is to be carried out in the mouths of the Ob and Yenissei Rivers, in Kara Sea to the edge of ice at 85 degrees, northern latitude. Then, without waiting for an icebreaker, the vessel will proceed on its way to the Laptev Sea and conduct research in the East Siberian and Chukchee Seas.

This is the sixth year running that Far Eastern scientists have been engaging in Arctic research.

Last year, a large international expedition that included oceanologists from Russia, Canada, the US, Britain, and Germany hd explored the entire Arctic coast and detected high concentrations of methane that exceeded the norm 1,000-fold. Researchers' opinion is that this may be connected with the disintegration of gas hydrates at the sea bottom, owing to a rise in the temperature of water and the atmosphere.

-- BERNAMA

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