The Arctic is particularly vulnerable to rising temperatures in ocean and atmosphere. Methane hydrate stability may impact many of the interconnected processes - biological, chemical, geological - in the Arctic ocean.
Methane Hydrates are crystalline compounds which are found in marine and permafrost regions world-wide. Hydrate is generally stable in the subsurface under specific temperature and pressure regimes, however as the arctic ocean warms, gas hydrate destabilization can occur. Destabilization of gas hydrate leads to methane release onto the seabed and into the water column. There are microbes which live in the seabed and in the water column that can consume methane, however if methane reaches the atmosphere it acts to warm as a potent greenhouse gas, keeping warmth trapped in the atmosphere and contributing to a warming climate.
It is crucial that we understand how methane affects coupled biological, chemical and geologic processes, especially in the Arctic Ocean.
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