Nature Communications (Jul 2020)

Gas hydrate dissociation linked to contemporary ocean warming in the southern hemisphere

  • Marcelo Ketzer,
  • Daniel Praeg,
  • Luiz F. Rodrigues,
  • Adolpho Augustin,
  • Maria A. G. Pivel,
  • Mahboubeh Rahmati-Abkenar,
  • Dennis J. Miller,
  • Adriano R. Viana,
  • José A. Cupertino

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17289-z
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Ocean warming could enable the release of methane related to hydrate dissociation from the ocean floor, a process thought to have triggered abrupt climate changes in Earth history. Here the authors detect this process in action, observing a massive release of methane from a site in the South Atlantic Ocean.