The Beaufort Sea continental shelf as a seasonal source of atmospheric methane
Methane concentrations in the Beaufort Sea under the winter ice canopy offshore from northern Alaska are 3 to 28 times greater than they are in late summer when the ice is absent in a similar region offshore from northern Canada where methane is in approximate equilibrium with the atmosphere. These observations suggest that methane concentrates in the water under the sea-ice cover during winter and ventilates rapidly in late summer as the ice melts and retreats. Conditions similar to those on the Beaufort Sea shelf likely exist on the much larger Siberian shelf, making the Arctic Ocean margin a possible seasonal, high-latitude, marine source of about 0.1 Tg yr[sup [minus]1] atmospheric methane. The small addition of methane likely contributes to the late-summer increase in atmospheric methane that is observed each year particularly in the northern hemisphere. 32 refs., 2 figs.
- OSTI ID:
- 5054973
- Journal Information:
- Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States) Vol. 20:22; ISSN GPRLAJ; ISSN 0094-8276
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
540120 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
540320* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ALKANES
ARCTIC OCEAN
BEAUFORT SEA
HYDROCARBONS
ICE
METHANE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION SOURCES
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS