Westbrook, Graham K., Thatcher, Kate E., Rohling, Eelco J., Piotrowski, Alexander M., Pälike, Heiko, Osborne, Anne H., Gisbet, Euan G., Minshull, Tim A., Lanoisellé, Mathias, James, Rachael H., Hühnerbach, Veit, Green, Daryll, Fisher, Rebecca E., Crocker, Anya J., Chabert, Anne, Bolton, Clara, Beszczynska-Möller, Agnieszka, Berndt, Christian and Aquilina, Alfred (2009) Escape of methane gas from the seabed along the West Spitsbergen continental margin. Geophysical Research Letters, 36 . L15608. DOI 10.1029/2009GL039191.

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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 150–
400 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 contine ntal
margins, tens of Teragrams of methane per year could be
released into the ocean.

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