Methane Emissions from the Arctic OCean to the Atmosphere: Present and Future Climate Effects (MOCA)

Methane hydrates (MH) in ocean seabed sediments are a potential source of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere, where CH4 has potential to act as a powerful greenhouse gas. Recent scientific studies show diversity in the flux of CH4 that actually reaches the atmosphere. MH are potentially susceptible to ocean warming, which could trigger a positive feedback resulting in rapid climate warming. MOCA is a new project funded by the Norwegian Research Council that will apply advanced measurements and modelling to quantify the amount and present atmospheric impact of CH4 originating from MH. Furthermore, the project will investigate potential future climate effects from destabilisation of MH deposits in a warming climate, and will focus on scenarios in 2050 and 2100. This presentation will provide an overview of the planned measurement campaigns, which aim to improve understanding of the fate of methane released at the ocean seabed, and its presence in the ocean water column and atmosphere. These measurement data will be used in combination with inversion modeling to quantify the present-day CH4 emissions from marine seabed seep sites west of Prince Carl Forland (Svalbard) to the atmosphere, and to identify the main influences on the atmospheric fraction. The project is anticipated to generate new knowledge on the entire Earth system and climate change using the region around Svalbard as an experimental test bed to study polar processes.