Climatologists were horrified to learn what ice hides
British climatologists from the University of Bristol have calculated that billions of tons of methane could be stored in the ice of Antarctica. Colossal reserves of methane were "stored" at great depths by microorganisms that feed on the remains of ancient trees.
35 million years ago, before the onset of glaciation, Antarctica was covered with forests, infox.ru writes. Then organics were cut off from the rest of the world by an ice shell. Scientists suggested that in the first few million years after the glaciation, bacteria in anoxic conditions could decompose Antarctic organic matter, resulting in a huge amount of methane accumulated under the ice.
Hydrocarbons, according to experts' calculations, are located at a depth of more than 3 km, so drilling ice to test the theory turned out to be an expensive undertaking. Instead, the scientists sawed off small pieces from the edges of the glacier, in which microbes capable of producing methane were found. After that, the microorganisms were placed in a cold environment without light and oxygen for two years.
By measuring the amount of methane they produce, scientists have calculated that its reserves under the Antarctic ice are even higher than the reserves at the bottom of the World Ocean.
“Our experiment showed that such areas of ice remain biologically active, and organic matter decomposes there into carbon dioxide and methane,” explained Gemma Wedham, head of work. - And if suddenly such an amount of methane breaks through the cracks in the ice and enters the atmosphere, it threatens catastrophic climate changes.
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Methane is the simplest hydrocarbon, odorless colorless gas (under normal conditions), chemical formula - CH4. Slightly soluble in water, lighter than air. When used in everyday life, in the industry, odorants (usually mercaptans) with a specific "gas smell" are usually added to methane. Methane is non-toxic and harmless to human health. However, there is evidence that methane is a toxic substance affecting the central nervous system.
Accumulating in a closed room, methane is explosive. Enrichment with odorants is done so that a person notices a gas leak in time. In industrial production, this role is played by sensors and in many cases methane for laboratories and industrial production remains odorless.
Explosive at concentrations in air from 4.4% to 17%. The most explosive concentration is 9.5%. Is a drug; the effect is weakened by negligible solubility in water and blood. The hazard class is the fourth.
