MOSCOW, February 7. /TASS/. Scientists of the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology (the Russian Academy of Sciences) have tested successfully new methods to study degradation of the submarine permafrost by analyzing seismic activities in the ocean, the institute’s press service told TASS.
About 80% of the World Ocean’s submarine permafrost is offshore the Russian East Arctic seas. The permafrost’s temperature is about 8-10 degrees higher than the temperature of terrestrial permafrost. This is why methane, dissolved in the submarine permafrost, starts emitting. The big emissions of anomalous force or even of mega force have been registered in the Russian Arctic seas and the force is only growing. This phenomenon may change the cycle of methane’s circulation in the Earth’s atmosphere and may increase the greenhouse effect.
"During the 78th voyage of the Akademik Mstislav Keldysh research vessel, experts tested for the first time self-popup bottom stations, which had been installed under the pilot project near the Gakkel Ridge (the Arctic Ocean)," the press service said. "The scientists have managed to register many earthquakes, thus localizing high concentrations of methane to see how much the submarine permafrost is degrading."
The Institute’s scientists offer a technology, based on observing the ocean’s seismic activity. They use self-popup bottom stations as seismographs. In autumn 2019, the bottom stations were installed at the depth of 80 and 320 meters. According to the specialists, the stations may remain on the bottom as deep as six kilometers for up to two years.
By using the bottom stations, the scientists registered many local and instrumental quakes, connected with methane emissions. Further on, they will analyze seismic activities to estimate methane emissions and to find reasons for local quakes in the ocean.