MUD VOLCANO DISCOVERED MAY 7, 2023 IN THE BARENTS SEA

The AKMA3 oceanographic expedition led by scientists from UiT, The Arctic University of Norway, in partnership with REV Ocean, has discovered the second ever mud volcano found within Norwegian waters, the Borealis Mud Volcano. This unusual geological phenomenon was discovered onboard the research vessel Kronprins Haakon with the piloted submersible vehicle ROV Aurora in the Southwestern Barents Sea at the outer part of Bjørnøyrenna (Outer Bear Island Trough). It lies at approximately 70 nautical miles south of Bear Island and at 400m deep. The newly discovered volcano rests inside a crater which is approximately 300m wide and 25m deep and is most likely the result of a catastrophic, natural blow out that abruptly released massive methane just after the last glaciation period, 18,000 years ago. Currently, the Borealis Mud Volcano, which is ca 7 meters in diameter and 2.5 meters high, continuously emits fluids rich in methane. Methane is a highly effective climate gas when it reaches the atmosphere. This discovery will help scientists understand the potential impact of localized but persistent in-time phenomena on the global methane budget and its impacts on the ecosystems.