Uncovering the Origins of Ancient Methane Eruptions

A new study published in Nature Geoscience suggests that underground magma drove methane and CO2 from marine sediments into the atmosphere during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) through hydrothermal venting. Seismic images of marine sediments off Norway and Greenland, dating back to the PETM, showed thousands of craters that were likely formed by hydrothermal venting. Samples retrieved from the Modgunn Vent, drilled as part of the International Ocean Discovery Program, provide evidence of hydrothermal venting immediately before the PETM onset, supporting the vents' major role in the PETM warming. However, the exact timing of the vent formation in relation to the PETM remains uncertain.