Study found Arctic Ocean As A Significant Contributor of Methane in the Atmosphere

According to a study report published in the journal Nature Geoscience on 22 April 2012, the Arctic Ocean could be a significant contributor of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.
Researchers carried out five flights in 2009 and 2010 to measure atmospheric methane in latitudes as high as 82 degrees north.
They found concentrations of the gas close to the ocean surface, especially in areas where sea ice had cracked or broken up.
The scientists are now concerned over the fact that the new disturbing mechanism could accelerate global warming.
The scientists involved in the study opined that the surface waters of the Arctic Ocean represent a potentially important source of methane, which could prove sensitive to changes in sea-ice cover.
Levels of methane in the atmosphere are relatively low, but the gas is 20 times more effective that carbon dioxide (CO2) at trapping solar heat.
Scientists have been struggling to understand the movements of the methane curve.