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posted by chromas on Thursday July 23 2020, @04:05PM   Printer-friendly

Phys.org:

A team of researchers with Oregon State University has confirmed the first active leak of sea-bed methane in Antarctica. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the group describes their trip to Cinder Cones located at McMurdo Sound situated in the Ross Sea, and why they believe it signals very serious repercussions for global warming.

[...] The researchers note that the methane leak at the Cinder Cones is not in a part of the ocean that has been warming; thus, the reason for the leak is a mystery. Much more concerning is the reaction of undersea microbes. Prior research has shown that when other parts of the seafloor begin releasing methane, microbes move in and eat it, preventing it from making its way to the surface and into the atmosphere. Cinder Cones has been leaking for at least five years, they note, but as yet, methane-eating microbes have not moved in. Thus, the methane is almost certainly making its way into the atmosphere. The reason this is so concerning, they point out, is because it suggests that if other parts of the seafloor in Antarctica begin to seep methane due to warming, microbes may not move into the area quickly enough to prevent massive amounts of the gas from making its way into the atmosphere. They plan to continue monitoring seepage at Cinder Cones, noting that it could take as long as five more years for microbes to move in. But that research will have to wait, as the pandemic has put their plans on hold.

Are krill or penguins to blame?

Journal Reference:
Andrew R. Thurber, Sarah Seabrook, Rory M. Welsh. Riddles in the cold: Antarctic endemism and microbial succession impact methane cycling in the Southern Ocean, Proceedings of the Royal Society B (DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1134)


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  • (Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @04:13PM (28 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @04:13PM (#1025439)

    She can assume her sea monster form and glare at the Cinder Cones until they stop daring to emit methane.

    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by DeathMonkey on Thursday July 23 2020, @04:16PM (16 children)

      by DeathMonkey (1380) on Thursday July 23 2020, @04:16PM (#1025441) Journal

      How pathetic do you have to be to get triggered by a teenage girl?

      • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @04:27PM (8 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @04:27PM (#1025448)

        Somewhat less pathetic than you have to be for licking the ground she walks upon.

        • (Score: 5, Insightful) by DeathMonkey on Thursday July 23 2020, @04:41PM (7 children)

          by DeathMonkey (1380) on Thursday July 23 2020, @04:41PM (#1025451) Journal

          Tough words from a manly man who can't handle a teenage girl with opinions.

          • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @04:50PM (1 child)

            by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @04:50PM (#1025455)

            Yawn... snowflake is getting boring.

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @04:55PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @04:55PM (#1025457)

              Brave AC has me quaking in my boots!

          • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @07:46PM (2 children)

            by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @07:46PM (#1025515)

            They are not her "opinions". They were planted there by advertisers. Her parents needed the money

            • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 24 2020, @07:04PM (1 child)

              by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 24 2020, @07:04PM (#1025889)

              And your opinions were planted in your head by the ruling class. They are not in your best interest.

              In fact, the ideas that I'm guessing you bristle at--tiny green houses and Malthusian dilemma--are also promoted by the ruling class, so that you will, out of reactionary political disorientation, excuse their greedy, selfish, insane drive to make the planet hostile to human life.

              But they throw you table scraps every now and then, and if those don't satisfy, they have you trained to bark at immigrants when they move capital away. When that happens, you're sitting in a bunker here behind your wall, unable to follow the movement of capital.

              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 24 2020, @11:25PM

                by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 24 2020, @11:25PM (#1026005)

                I'm guessing you bristle at--tiny green houses...

                God didn't make little green apples
                And it don't snow in Minneapolis when the winter comes
                And there's no such thing as make-believe
                Puppy dogs, autumn leaves 'n' BB guns

          • (Score: 1, Disagree) by anubi on Friday July 24 2020, @01:04AM

            by anubi (2828) on Friday July 24 2020, @01:04AM (#1025626) Journal

            No one can.

            --
            "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
          • (Score: 2) by DeVilla on Friday July 24 2020, @10:26PM

            by DeVilla (5354) on Friday July 24 2020, @10:26PM (#1025989)

            I can't speak for the coward, but for me it's not a problem with a teenager with opinions as much as all the adults who then held her up as some kind of authority. The whole thing left me feeling embarrassed for everyone involved.

      • (Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @04:58PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @04:58PM (#1025458)

        Anyone that jumps into the political arena is gonna get dirty. That's just the nature of it. Her parents that put her in that position are the baddies.

        It's expected to have a backlash through criticisms and insults on any political foray and activism. Using kids to push an agenda isn't new. They are the perfect shield from criticism that your comment hallmarks.

        It would be nice to keep kids out of politics. Now before someone says; "Greta isn't pushing politics she is advocating for science. Only haters of science disagree with her science activism", I'll take that more seriously when she goes into China and chastise them the same way.

        • (Score: 2) by Freeman on Thursday July 23 2020, @07:44PM

          by Freeman (732) Subscriber Badge on Thursday July 23 2020, @07:44PM (#1025513) Journal

          But, USA "Bad!" and China "Good!", also no one would hear from her again after that. So it's a bit difficult to say you'd take her more seriously, when her doing the same thing in China, would likely get her disappeared. My bad, sent to a "reeducation camp".

          --
          Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
      • (Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @08:34PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @08:34PM (#1025525)

        not as pathetic as a brainwashed bootlicker who can't recognize a joke.

        • (Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @09:02PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @09:02PM (#1025544)

          Have some sympathy for the poor humorless snowflake... he's been programmed by his SJW teachers to be like this. Imagine the long-term damage the stress of seeing injustice everywhere will do to this pathetic generation.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @11:10PM (2 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @11:10PM (#1025581)

        25 words, 12 replies. Good bang for the buck.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 24 2020, @10:23AM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 24 2020, @10:23AM (#1025712)

          25 words, 12 replies. Good bang for the buck.

          Most people are content living their lives. Some want to achieve something. But then there are these fuckers that just want to see the world burn. Fuckers like you. You are not satisfied with reality or facts, you just want to see a "bang". Careful what you wish for.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 24 2020, @10:56AM

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 24 2020, @10:56AM (#1025715)

            Just recognizing the absurdity of the "ooooooo y u triggered" argument.

            I will agree when they start posting 5000 word anti-Greta essays.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @08:51PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @08:51PM (#1025537)

      Some Beano might help with the greenhouse gases leaking out of your mouth, but you'll need the suppository type of Beano.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @08:56PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @08:56PM (#1025540)

        Pro tip: your mother didn't raise any successful comedians.

    • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday July 24 2020, @12:30AM (8 children)

      by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Friday July 24 2020, @12:30AM (#1025604) Journal

      What kind of gormless, weak-kneed, lily-livered inbred streak of piss do you have to be to be carrying this creepy obsessive hatred for a teenage girl on the other side of the planet? What's the matter, does she trigger you because she's correct?

      --
      I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
      • (Score: 4, Insightful) by anubi on Friday July 24 2020, @01:13AM (1 child)

        by anubi (2828) on Friday July 24 2020, @01:13AM (#1025630) Journal

        I think they are frustrated because they can't do anything to force her obedience.

        --
        "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 24 2020, @02:01AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 24 2020, @02:01AM (#1025640)

          Do try to remember who, exactly, is trying to force obedience on who. Hint: as in "pushing for laws to be made to make everyone do X".

      • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 24 2020, @01:54AM (5 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 24 2020, @01:54AM (#1025638)

        You invented a great way to make friends and influence people; pile up enough stupid insults and they'll... what, exactly?

        • (Score: 0, Troll) by Phoenix666 on Friday July 24 2020, @03:01PM (3 children)

          by Phoenix666 (552) on Friday July 24 2020, @03:01PM (#1025801) Journal

          Shhhh! She's a pharmacy tech who hates Christians reflexively, so she must be really smart. Also, she's a lesbian so how dare you criticize her?! You are cancelled.

          --
          Washington DC delenda est.
          • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 24 2020, @07:17PM (1 child)

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 24 2020, @07:17PM (#1025893)

            Being a lesbian has nothing to do with it, oh rebirth of the number of man. There are plenty of shitheaded lesbians out there who confuse biology for a political statement. Azuma is not one of those. Do you miss her criticism of Islam--when it comes up--because you get so triggered she dares question Mosaic Law?

            Being a pharmacy tech makes her more valuable to society than any political hack like you.

            • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday July 25 2020, @01:19AM

              by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Saturday July 25 2020, @01:19AM (#1026042) Journal

              He did, yes. You nailed him on all points. Look at him, spitting childish venom, reduced to trying--and failing miserably--to win points with the lowest, least effective type of sarcasm there is.

              --
              I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
          • (Score: 4, Interesting) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday July 25 2020, @01:24AM

            by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Saturday July 25 2020, @01:24AM (#1026044) Journal

            Hey, dipshit, I don't hate Christians (or Jews, or Muslims). I hate Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. You may have heard a certain saying that goes "Love the sinner, hate the sin?" :) The religion I have the most beef with, actually, isn't Christianity...it's Islam. Christianity at least had some good if unoriginal morals and a deep-rooted sense of economic and community equality. But all three Abrahamic faiths spring from the same poisoned root, and that root is that Yahweh, their God-figure, *is a fucking psychopath.* You don't even need to leave the book(s) of Genesis, let alone the Old Testament, to come to that conclusion.

            And in light of my being a pharmacy worker, consider this analogy: when someone has a disease, the doctor prescribes them medicine *to correct the disease state.* Not to kill the patient. Again: hate the sinner, not the sin. My medicine is bitter, it burns as all truth does to the one who loves and makes and lives a lie, but it is effective.

            Drop your whiny fucking persecution complex already. You're angry as hell at me pointing out that everything from your marriage to your parenting to your place of residence to your supposed social activism is hollow, hypocritical, self-serving, virtue-signalling *bullshit.* You are the "whited sepulchre" Jesus spoke of.

            --
            I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
        • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday July 25 2020, @01:27AM

          by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Saturday July 25 2020, @01:27AM (#1026046) Journal

          You misunderstand...we are out of time. These people will not change. I am not trying to change them; I'm just pointing out in a very public and nasty way exactly what they are. I could not give the proverbial fetid pair of dingo's kidneys about being friends with or influencing these people.

          --
          I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
  • (Score: 4, Funny) by richtopia on Thursday July 23 2020, @04:53PM (11 children)

    by richtopia (3160) Subscriber Badge on Thursday July 23 2020, @04:53PM (#1025456) Homepage Journal

    We all know that the earth is hollow and all the dinosaurs moved there. Clearly, they have been eating too many beans, and a leak has sprung.

    I'm not sure how, but I think the solution involves Bruce Willis

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @05:04PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @05:04PM (#1025460)

      Burritosaurus Gaseosa.

    • (Score: 1) by PaperNoodle on Thursday July 23 2020, @05:04PM

      by PaperNoodle (10908) on Thursday July 23 2020, @05:04PM (#1025461)

      No no that's just hollow earth nonsense. It's Cthulhu silently hot boxing Shoggoth with its horrific flatulence.

      I don't know who we need but I know we need a bigger boat.

      --
      B3
    • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday July 23 2020, @05:10PM (2 children)

      by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Thursday July 23 2020, @05:10PM (#1025466) Journal

      the earth is hollow

      and I have touched the sky.

      --
      The anti vax hysteria didn't stop, it just died down.
      • (Score: 5, Interesting) by Kitsune008 on Thursday July 23 2020, @06:01PM (1 child)

        by Kitsune008 (9054) on Thursday July 23 2020, @06:01PM (#1025484)

        Same here. 1972 IIRC...first time I did 4-way windowpane. I did not know that each one was four doses, not one. Being 'experienced'(as Jimi Hendrix asked), I bought four of them for a camping trip I was going on.(alone)
        I took all four of them(16 hits) when I arrived at my remote campsite, and set up camp waiting for it to kick in. Then, it did. The stars were awesome, then everything was awesome, then...
        I don't recall much of the next three days, but touch the sky I did, then very quickly touched the ground.(I had climbed a tree to reach for a star)
        The evening of the third day, I finally had reattached to reality enough to realize that several things had become 'wrong with this picture':
        1) I was stark naked
        2) I was out precariously on a tree branch about 10-12 meters altitude above hard ground
        3) there was an extremely pissed off Great Horned Owl focused on me...it was about 2 m further out on the same branch
        4) If I kept to my current actions, I would be attacked by a really, really big pissed-off owl
        5) I was about to touch the ground again...hard
        6) hasty retreat was the best course of action

        Conclusion: apparently you don't learn from mistakes when your tripping your balls off.

           

        • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday July 23 2020, @08:56PM

          by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Thursday July 23 2020, @08:56PM (#1025542) Journal

          That sounds more interesting than the adventure of Kirk, Spock and McCoy that I was thinking of.

          (Although I believe the actual episode title is: "For the world is hollow and I have touched the sky.")

          --
          The anti vax hysteria didn't stop, it just died down.
    • (Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Thursday July 23 2020, @05:19PM

      by DeathMonkey (1380) on Thursday July 23 2020, @05:19PM (#1025471) Journal
    • (Score: 2) by shortscreen on Thursday July 23 2020, @07:05PM (2 children)

      by shortscreen (2252) on Thursday July 23 2020, @07:05PM (#1025505) Journal

      Underground dinosaurs and something leaking? You need a pair of plumbers [wikipedia.org]

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @08:47PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @08:47PM (#1025535)

        Penguin guano,

        Evil heirs of dinosaurs out to destroy the mammal dominance. Even clad in super evil-looking tuxedo.

        • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 24 2020, @01:15AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 24 2020, @01:15AM (#1025631)

          Don't get within 5 feet of the penguin or you're guano regret it.

    • (Score: 2) by Freeman on Thursday July 23 2020, @07:47PM

      by Freeman (732) Subscriber Badge on Thursday July 23 2020, @07:47PM (#1025518) Journal

      Wasn't that part of the plot of one of those Moon Nazi films? The movies were totally bonkers, but they definitely fit in the "Action Film" genre.

      --
      Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
    • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday July 24 2020, @03:04PM

      by Phoenix666 (552) on Friday July 24 2020, @03:04PM (#1025803) Journal

      I'm not sure how, but I think the solution involves Bruce Willis

      Jesus, richtopia. Delroy Lindo, Delroy Lindo!

      --
      Washington DC delenda est.
  • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @05:08PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @05:08PM (#1025464)

    Penguin's done it again! To the batsubmarine!

  • (Score: 2) by looorg on Thursday July 23 2020, @05:50PM

    by looorg (578) on Thursday July 23 2020, @05:50PM (#1025483)

    The Predators are trying to escape the Aliens.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @06:52PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @06:52PM (#1025500)

    > noting that it could take as long as five more years for microbes to move in.

    Hop to it and transplant some of those methane eating microbes to the Ross Sea asap. No harm in seeding something that was going to get there is a few years (or is there...)?

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @10:29PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 23 2020, @10:29PM (#1025568)

      I believe the answer is that microbes have become established in the location during the past five years, but it takes a long time for these particular microbes to multiply and establish a large enough presence to have a significant impact on methane absorption. It's not clear that introducing more of these microbes would necessarily speed the process along. They're already there, it's just taking a long time for them to reach a sufficient population to have a larger impact on methane absorption.

  • (Score: 5, Interesting) by Tokolosh on Friday July 24 2020, @03:06AM (1 child)

    by Tokolosh (585) on Friday July 24 2020, @03:06AM (#1025650)

    I don't think the average layperson understands just how much hydrocarbon leaks from the earth. The first oil well was not drilled along "Oil Creek" for nothing. The Zoroastrians don't worship fires burning in the desert for no reason. The Brea tar pits are a thing. Offshore oil production near Santa Barbara has reduced crude oil leaking into the sea from natural fissures, due to oil companies installing tents over them and collecting the oil which would otherwise wash up on the beach. There are examples all over the world: https://listverse.com/2013/08/15/10-natural-eternal-flames-youve-never-heard-of/ [listverse.com]

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 24 2020, @10:33AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 24 2020, @10:33AM (#1025713)

      I don't think the average layperson understands just how much hydrocarbon leaks from the earth.

      The same is true regarding radiation deposited into the oceans every year from cosmic sources. Ignorance is not bliss, it makes for bad decision making. We have decision makers and population in general that doesn't understand differential equations - something that is vital if you want to start talking about CO2 in atmosphere. But having said that, the problem is not natural hydrocarbon leaks into the oceans or air. The problem is that AGW is going to accelerate these emissions as permafrost start to ooze the locked in methane trapped for last 100k years.

      https://www.livescience.com/59705-oozing-methane-blasts-craters-in-siberian-tundra.html [livescience.com]

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