Maps Methane Emissions From Melting Svalbard Glaciers

Glaciers melting can lead to increased methane emissions from the mountain basement. The University Center in Svalbard (UNIS) has been awarded NOK 10 million from the Research Council of Norway to study this in more detail at the glaciers in Svalbard. This is reported by UNIS.

The glaciers on Svalbard are some of the most sensitive to climate change in the world. The glaciers are relatively flat, and most are connected to or exist near the sea. This means they can melt and retreat relatively quickly.

Researchers have previously found that the rate at which the glaciers on Svalbard melt also impacts how much methane gas is released from the mountain basement beneath the glaciers. In the atmosphere, methane is a potent greenhouse gas.

UNIS will now lead the GlaciGas project. A research project that will map and measure methane emissions from the basement where there used to be ice.

ALSO READ: Arctic Ocean Acidifies Up To Four Times Faster Than Other Seas