First observation of direct methane emission to the atmosphere from the subglacial domain of the Greenland Ice Sheet
Abstract During a 2016 field expedition to the West Greenland Ice Sheet, a striking observation of significantly elevated CH4 concentrations of up to 15 times the background atmospheric concentration were measured directly in the air expelled with meltwater at a subglacial discharge point from the G...
Published in: | Scientific Reports |
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Main Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2018
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-35054-7 https://doaj.org/article/4892bad9619b4cd188dd0f74ac18734b |
Summary: | Abstract During a 2016 field expedition to the West Greenland Ice Sheet, a striking observation of significantly elevated CH4 concentrations of up to 15 times the background atmospheric concentration were measured directly in the air expelled with meltwater at a subglacial discharge point from the Greenland Ice Sheet. The range of hourly subglacial CH4 flux rate through the discharge point was estimated to be 3.1 to 134 g CH4 hr−1. These measurements are the first observations of direct emissions of CH4 from the subglacial environment under the Greenlandic Ice Sheet to the atmosphere and indicate a novel emission pathway of CH4 that is currently a non-quantified component of the Arctic CH4 budget. |
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