GECS major or not, you are probably familiar with hydrothermal vents, which are commonly found in the waters around the Galapagos Islands and known for the incredible diversity of organisms that live near them and rely on their significant chemical processes. Vents are typically close in proximity to active volcanoes and are above slowly shifting tectonic plates. A common example is the hot springs that thousands of tourists visit every year at Yellowstone National Park.
Those on the East Coast are not accustomed to seeing such vents on a daily basis, and we don’t need to worry about an Old Faithful popping up near Baltimore anytime soon. But an exciting recent discovery shows that the Atlantic is currently undergoing a massive change that has remained largely undetected for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Researchers from Mississippi State University and the United States Geological Survey, among other institutions, have found not hot springs, but their near opposite, called “cold seeps.” Cold seeps leak methane into the water above them that comes from complex microbial processes in sediments.
Until this recent finding, it was thought that there were a seemingly manageable three of these areas in the Atlantic margin (the region in the middle of the coastline and deep ocean). This was approximately the amount that was expected, as the Atlantic is not subject to the drastic movement of tectonic plates, and scientists do not think the seeps are related to petroleum basins, which is the case in the Gulf of Mexico. The findings were shocking and sparked great interest, because they indicated that there were not three seeps, but 570, with the added potential of many more that have not yet been found. Geographically, the 570 seeps span from Georges Bank, Mass. to Cape Hatteras, N.C.
Unfortunately, microbial methane cannot be used to power our country with natural gas. In fact, this greenhouse gas can do great harm to Earth when it reaches a certain level, which is why this research possesses great relevance.
While much of the methane detected in this research will probably not enter the atmosphere, it can be oxidized and produce carbon dioxide, which will decrease ocean oxygen content and increase ocean acidity. By themselves, these issues do not seem to be terribly dangerous, but when taken in the context of the rapid warming of the oceans, they have great potential to harm both animal and human health. Certain seeps, such as those in a region of the Hudson River, occur in more shallow water and thus enter the atmosphere even more quickly, which can impact health in the densely populated area surrounding the Hudson.
If there is any good news, it is that the amount of gas leaking out of the Atlantic floor is small when compared to the total amount of gas that escapes worldwide. However, the seeps are occurring throughout an extremely large geographic range in the Atlantic with no readily apparent cause, suggesting that this is a serious and widespread issue, rather than an isolated one. Many of the seeps found in this study are located 800-2,000 feet deep, and it is there that methane is contained in ice molecules called hydrates. One optimistic hypothesis is that the hydrates are simply melting due to minor, natural fluctuations in ocean temperature. Although the findings of this research may prove troublesome for the environment, the fact that the Atlantic is not subject to problems like shifting tectonic plates means that it is an ideal environment to study the effect of a changing climate on methane seeps.
