Ice-sheet melt drove methane emissions in the Arctic during the last two interglacials
International audience Abstract Circum-Arctic glacial ice is melting in an unprecedented mode, and release of currently trapped geological methane may act as a positive feedback on ice-sheet retreat during global warming. Evidence for methane release during the penultimate (Eemian, ca. 125 ka) inter...
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Online Access: | https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-03324926 https://doi.org/10.1130/G48580.1 |
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ftanrparis:oai:HAL:hal-03324926v1 2024-09-15T18:06:53+00:00 Ice-sheet melt drove methane emissions in the Arctic during the last two interglacials Dessandier, P.-A. Knies, J. Plaza-Faverola, A. Labrousse, C. Renoult, M. Panieri, G. Laboratoire Environnement Profond (LEP) Etudes des Ecosystèmes Profonds (EEP) Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER) Interdisciplinary Graduate School for the Blue planet ANR-17-EURE-0015,ISBlue,Interdisciplinary Graduate School for the Blue planet(2017) 2021-03-22 https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-03324926 https://doi.org/10.1130/G48580.1 en eng HAL CCSD Geological Society of America info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1130/G48580.1 hal-03324926 https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-03324926 doi:10.1130/G48580.1 ISSN: 0091-7613 EISSN: 1943-2682 Geology https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-03324926 Geology, 2021, 49 (7), pp.799-803. ⟨10.1130/G48580.1⟩ Feedback Glacial geology Glaciers Global warming Methane Offshore gas fields Offshore oil well production Petroleum reservoirs Sea ice [SDE]Environmental Sciences [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean Atmosphere [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2021 ftanrparis https://doi.org/10.1130/G48580.1 2024-07-12T11:06:37Z International audience Abstract Circum-Arctic glacial ice is melting in an unprecedented mode, and release of currently trapped geological methane may act as a positive feedback on ice-sheet retreat during global warming. Evidence for methane release during the penultimate (Eemian, ca. 125 ka) interglacial, a period with less glacial sea ice and higher temperatures than today, is currently absent. Here, we argue that based on foraminiferal isotope studies on drill holes from offshore Svalbard, Norway, methane leakage occurred upon the abrupt Eurasian ice-sheet wastage during terminations of the last (Weichselian) and penultimate (Saalian) glaciations. Progressive increase of methane emissions seems to be first recorded by depleted benthic foraminiferal δ13C. This is quickly followed by the precipitation of methane-derived authigenic carbonate as overgrowth inside and outside foraminiferal shells, characterized by heavy δ18O and depleted δ13C of both benthic and planktonic foraminifera. The similarities between the events observed over both terminations advocate for a common driver for the episodic release of geological methane stocks. Our favored model is recurrent leakage of shallow gas reservoirs below the gas hydrate stability zone along the margin of western Svalbard that can be reactivated upon initial instability of the grounded, marine-based ice sheets. Analogous to this model, with the current acceleration of the Greenland ice melt, instabilities of existing methane reservoirs below and nearby the ice sheet are likely. Article in Journal/Newspaper Foraminifera* Global warming Greenland Ice Sheet Planktonic foraminifera Sea ice Svalbard Portail HAL-ANR (Agence Nationale de la Recherche) Geology 49 7 799 803 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Portail HAL-ANR (Agence Nationale de la Recherche) |
op_collection_id |
ftanrparis |
language |
English |
topic |
Feedback Glacial geology Glaciers Global warming Methane Offshore gas fields Offshore oil well production Petroleum reservoirs Sea ice [SDE]Environmental Sciences [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean Atmosphere [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] |
spellingShingle |
Feedback Glacial geology Glaciers Global warming Methane Offshore gas fields Offshore oil well production Petroleum reservoirs Sea ice [SDE]Environmental Sciences [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean Atmosphere [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] Dessandier, P.-A. Knies, J. Plaza-Faverola, A. Labrousse, C. Renoult, M. Panieri, G. Ice-sheet melt drove methane emissions in the Arctic during the last two interglacials |
topic_facet |
Feedback Glacial geology Glaciers Global warming Methane Offshore gas fields Offshore oil well production Petroleum reservoirs Sea ice [SDE]Environmental Sciences [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean Atmosphere [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] |
description |
International audience Abstract Circum-Arctic glacial ice is melting in an unprecedented mode, and release of currently trapped geological methane may act as a positive feedback on ice-sheet retreat during global warming. Evidence for methane release during the penultimate (Eemian, ca. 125 ka) interglacial, a period with less glacial sea ice and higher temperatures than today, is currently absent. Here, we argue that based on foraminiferal isotope studies on drill holes from offshore Svalbard, Norway, methane leakage occurred upon the abrupt Eurasian ice-sheet wastage during terminations of the last (Weichselian) and penultimate (Saalian) glaciations. Progressive increase of methane emissions seems to be first recorded by depleted benthic foraminiferal δ13C. This is quickly followed by the precipitation of methane-derived authigenic carbonate as overgrowth inside and outside foraminiferal shells, characterized by heavy δ18O and depleted δ13C of both benthic and planktonic foraminifera. The similarities between the events observed over both terminations advocate for a common driver for the episodic release of geological methane stocks. Our favored model is recurrent leakage of shallow gas reservoirs below the gas hydrate stability zone along the margin of western Svalbard that can be reactivated upon initial instability of the grounded, marine-based ice sheets. Analogous to this model, with the current acceleration of the Greenland ice melt, instabilities of existing methane reservoirs below and nearby the ice sheet are likely. |
author2 |
Laboratoire Environnement Profond (LEP) Etudes des Ecosystèmes Profonds (EEP) Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER) Interdisciplinary Graduate School for the Blue planet ANR-17-EURE-0015,ISBlue,Interdisciplinary Graduate School for the Blue planet(2017) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Dessandier, P.-A. Knies, J. Plaza-Faverola, A. Labrousse, C. Renoult, M. Panieri, G. |
author_facet |
Dessandier, P.-A. Knies, J. Plaza-Faverola, A. Labrousse, C. Renoult, M. Panieri, G. |
author_sort |
Dessandier, P.-A. |
title |
Ice-sheet melt drove methane emissions in the Arctic during the last two interglacials |
title_short |
Ice-sheet melt drove methane emissions in the Arctic during the last two interglacials |
title_full |
Ice-sheet melt drove methane emissions in the Arctic during the last two interglacials |
title_fullStr |
Ice-sheet melt drove methane emissions in the Arctic during the last two interglacials |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ice-sheet melt drove methane emissions in the Arctic during the last two interglacials |
title_sort |
ice-sheet melt drove methane emissions in the arctic during the last two interglacials |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-03324926 https://doi.org/10.1130/G48580.1 |
genre |
Foraminifera* Global warming Greenland Ice Sheet Planktonic foraminifera Sea ice Svalbard |
genre_facet |
Foraminifera* Global warming Greenland Ice Sheet Planktonic foraminifera Sea ice Svalbard |
op_source |
ISSN: 0091-7613 EISSN: 1943-2682 Geology https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-03324926 Geology, 2021, 49 (7), pp.799-803. ⟨10.1130/G48580.1⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1130/G48580.1 hal-03324926 https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-03324926 doi:10.1130/G48580.1 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1130/G48580.1 |
container_title |
Geology |
container_volume |
49 |
container_issue |
7 |
container_start_page |
799 |
op_container_end_page |
803 |
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1810444238835417088 |