Gas Emissions in Antarctica Alarm Scientists 0 216

Scientists have recorded dozens of new underwater gas sources off the coast of Antarctica — a phenomenon that was previously considered extremely rare. The discovery, published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment (NCE&E), showed that bubbles of methane and other fluids are emerging from the seabed in the coastal zone of the Ross Sea. These areas, known as seeps, have formed in regions that have been regularly studied for decades but had not previously shown signs of activity.

Researchers found seeps at depths ranging from 5 to 240 meters. White microbial mats are developing at the gas outlets, and bubbles of methane are accumulating under the ice, capable of rapidly entering the atmosphere. In some areas, "dead zones" of marine organisms have been recorded — signs that gas emissions are already affecting the ecosystem.

Scientists believe that the emergence of new seeps may be linked to climate warming and glacial melting. As the mass of ice decreases, the pressure on underwater gas deposits drops, leading to their depressurization and the release of methane — a potent greenhouse gas that exacerbates global warming.

According to the authors, this discovery changes the understanding of gas exchange in polar regions and requires urgent international monitoring. Researchers warn that if the process turns out to be large-scale, it could trigger a dangerous climate "feedback loop" — where melting ice accelerates methane emissions, and methane, in turn, intensifies warming.