Exclusive: expedition discovers new source of greenhouse gas off East Siberian coast has been triggered

Jonathan WattsGlobal environment editor@jonathanwatts

Tue 27 Oct 2020 11.40 EDTLast modified on Tue 27 Oct 2020 12.11 EDT

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/oct/27/sleeping-giant-arctic-methane-deposits-starting-to-release-scientists-find

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Scientists have found evidence that frozen methane deposits in theArcticOcean – known as the “sleeping giants of the carbon cycle” – have started to be released over a large area of the continental slope off the East Siberian coast, the Guardian can reveal.

High levels of the potent greenhouse gas have been detected down to a depth of 350 metres in the Laptev Sea nearRussia, prompting concern among researchers that a new climate feedback loop may have been triggered that could accelerate the pace of global heating.

The slope sediments in the Arctic…