-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Global Warming Methane Spike
Date: Sat, 03 Jun 2006 14:35:17 -0700
From: blue_waters wildfreesky@hotmail.com
To:
GLOBAL WARMING METHANE SPIKE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Siberian Fires from Earth Observatory
A massive, unexpected thaw that covers an area of Siberia the size of
France and Germany combined is now releasing billions of tons of the
super global warming gas methane into the atmosphere. This will cause
the kind of methane spike that preceded the last period of extreme
warming 15,000 years ago, which was followed by a violent change to a
much different climate. This is poised to happen again.
Methane is 20 times as good at holding heat close to the earth as
carbon dioxide, and the greatest 'methane sink' in the world is the
Siberian permafrost. For years, scientists have warned that, if it
melts suddenly, there will be a climate catastrophe. Such a melting
process is taking place now, and if it extends into the autumn and is
repeated with greater intensity in coming summers, the effects will be
severe in just a very few years.
Unfortunately, the fact that Siberia is outgassing massive quantities
of methane at this time means that the atmosphere is going to heat up
much faster than climate scientists anticipated, and it is likely that
future summer melts will be more intense, and will extend into the
permafrost beneath the American arctic. Environmental scientists have
long dreaded the day when Arctic permafrost would begin to melt
seriously, and that day is now at hand. From geologic records, we know
that the last great ice age began with a huge release of methane, but
no one knows where all that methane came from. It could have come from
the ocean floor or from a peat bog just like this one.
Climate scientist Stephen Sitch says that western Siberia is heating
up faster than anywhere else in the world. US climatologist Larry
Smith warns that the Siberian peat bog could release 70 billion tons
of methane, which is one-fourth of all the methane stored in the
ground around the world. Smith has thought the Siberian permafrost
would thaw gradually, so it will not release its methane into the
atmosphere in a single burst. However, a great deal of methane was
released into the atmosphere all at once in the distant past, so it
could happen again, and the unprecedented situation that is happening
now is an indication that the melt will be fast and extensive.
Climatologist David Viner says that even if the methane gradually
seeped out of the permafrost over the next 100 years, it would still
lead to a 10 to 25% increase in global warming. 700 billion tons is
about the same amount that is now released annually from agriculture
around the world, so the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere
would double.
Siberia's peat bogs formed around 11,000 years ago, when the last ice
age ended. They?ve been generating methane from rotting vegetation
ever since, but it's been harmlessly trapped beneath the frozen
permafrost?until now. Climate researcher Karen Frey says if the bogs
dry out as they get warmer, the methane will oxidize and be generated
into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. But if the bogs remain wet, the
methane itself will be released straight into the atmosphere. While
both CO2 and methane are greenhouse gasses, methane is 20 better at
trapping heat than carbon dioxide?which is much worse for the future
of the Earth.
http://www.unknowncountry.com/news/?id=4766
Subject: Global Warming Methane Spike
Date: Sat, 03 Jun 2006 14:35:17 -0700
From: blue_waters wildfreesky@hotmail.com
To:
GLOBAL WARMING METHANE SPIKE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Siberian Fires from Earth Observatory
A massive, unexpected thaw that covers an area of Siberia the size of
France and Germany combined is now releasing billions of tons of the
super global warming gas methane into the atmosphere. This will cause
the kind of methane spike that preceded the last period of extreme
warming 15,000 years ago, which was followed by a violent change to a
much different climate. This is poised to happen again.
Methane is 20 times as good at holding heat close to the earth as
carbon dioxide, and the greatest 'methane sink' in the world is the
Siberian permafrost. For years, scientists have warned that, if it
melts suddenly, there will be a climate catastrophe. Such a melting
process is taking place now, and if it extends into the autumn and is
repeated with greater intensity in coming summers, the effects will be
severe in just a very few years.
Unfortunately, the fact that Siberia is outgassing massive quantities
of methane at this time means that the atmosphere is going to heat up
much faster than climate scientists anticipated, and it is likely that
future summer melts will be more intense, and will extend into the
permafrost beneath the American arctic. Environmental scientists have
long dreaded the day when Arctic permafrost would begin to melt
seriously, and that day is now at hand. From geologic records, we know
that the last great ice age began with a huge release of methane, but
no one knows where all that methane came from. It could have come from
the ocean floor or from a peat bog just like this one.
Climate scientist Stephen Sitch says that western Siberia is heating
up faster than anywhere else in the world. US climatologist Larry
Smith warns that the Siberian peat bog could release 70 billion tons
of methane, which is one-fourth of all the methane stored in the
ground around the world. Smith has thought the Siberian permafrost
would thaw gradually, so it will not release its methane into the
atmosphere in a single burst. However, a great deal of methane was
released into the atmosphere all at once in the distant past, so it
could happen again, and the unprecedented situation that is happening
now is an indication that the melt will be fast and extensive.
Climatologist David Viner says that even if the methane gradually
seeped out of the permafrost over the next 100 years, it would still
lead to a 10 to 25% increase in global warming. 700 billion tons is
about the same amount that is now released annually from agriculture
around the world, so the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere
would double.
Siberia's peat bogs formed around 11,000 years ago, when the last ice
age ended. They?ve been generating methane from rotting vegetation
ever since, but it's been harmlessly trapped beneath the frozen
permafrost?until now. Climate researcher Karen Frey says if the bogs
dry out as they get warmer, the methane will oxidize and be generated
into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. But if the bogs remain wet, the
methane itself will be released straight into the atmosphere. While
both CO2 and methane are greenhouse gasses, methane is 20 better at
trapping heat than carbon dioxide?which is much worse for the future
of the Earth.
http://www.unknowncountry.com/news/?id=4766
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