Methane hydrate climatic effects

Because huge quantities of methane are buried in the seafloor, mainly as gas hydrates, there are concerns about potential climate effects, especially because methane has a greater greenhouse effect than C02. The concentration of atmospheric methane is also presently increasing at a more rapid rate than that of C02 (IPCC, 2001). Therefore, the abundance, distribution (in space and time) and the stability of methane hydrates have important implications for future and past global climate changes. 

Dickens GR, O Neil JR, Rea DK, Owen RM (1995) Dissociation of oceanic methane hydrate as a cause of the carbon isotope excursion at the end of the Paleocene. Paleoceanog 10 965-971 Dickens GR, Castillo MM, Walker JCG (1997) A blast of gas in the latest Paleocene simulating first-order effects of massive dissociation of oceanic methane hydrate. Geology 25 259-262 Ehleringer JR, Sage RF, Flanagan LB, Pearcy RW (1991) Climate change and the evolution of C4 photosynthesis. Trends Ecol Evol 6 95-99... 

However, little is known about the possible effects of mining seafloor methane on cold seeps. Any disturbance could potentially cause a release of pressure, which could then trigger a massive release of methane through destabilisation of the hydrates. This could have important climate implications because of methane s strong global warming potential, which is estimated to be 23 times that of C02 over a 100-year time horizon (IPCC, 2001). 

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