"Escaping Ancient Methane: A Potential Amplifier of Global Warming"

As glaciers melt in the Arctic, ancient methane gas trapped beneath the ice is surfacing, potentially contributing to further global warming. Glaciologists in Svalbard, Norway have detected methane gas escaping through groundwater springs, with methane found in all but one of the 123 springs they checked. While carbon dioxide emissions are the primary driver of climate change, methane is more effective at trapping heat. The concern is that the world's accounting of methane emissions does not include the gas emerging from the Arctic, which could impact methane management efforts. The melting of glaciers in Svalbard is occurring at an alarming rate, with measurements showing that the glaciers are losing ice faster than they can be replenished. By 2100, it is projected that the glaciers will be losing ice twice as fast as they are now.