Methane From Permafrost Exploding Climate Timeline

Mysterious Explosions In Siberia Are Signs Of Galloping Climate Change

David Bressan, July 7, 2017 (Forbes)

“…Siberia has had more and more reports of flashes of light and explosions] in the last two years. At first, possible explanations for the craters included sinkholes or even impacts of small meteorites…[but] the real cause seems to be sudden bursts of methane from the ground, or, possibly, explosions fueled by the flammable gas. The origin of the methane is not entirely clear…[but it appears natural gas leaks from perennially frozen but now thawing permafrost] are becoming more frequent in subarctic regions…If the permafrost thaws, microbial activity starts to exponentially rise. By digesting and decomposing organic material preserved in the previously frozen soil, large amounts of methane are released by the thriving microorganisms…Climate data for the last decades show an increase of the mean temperatures in the region…[and] the concentration of greenhouse gases, like methane and carbon dioxide, is almost 1,000 times higher than in the surrounding environment…[The explosions are a danger to bystanders but also release] the greenhouse gases into Earth's atmosphere. Scientists fear that this mechanism could become a self-reinforcing process. As temperatures rise worldwide, more greenhouse gases are released from thawing permafrost, contributing to further warming of the Earth.” click here for more

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