Friday, September 5, 2025
Science
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag
No Result
View All Result
Home Science News Marine

High and low tide cause low and high methane fluxes

July 12, 2024
in Marine
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
High and low tide cause low and high methane fluxes
66
SHARES
600
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

High and low tide cause low and high methane fluxes

High and low tide cause low and high methane fluxes

Methane, a strong greenhouse gas that naturally escapes from the bottom of the North Sea, is affected by the pressure of high or low tide. Methane emissions from the seafloor can be just easily three times as much or as little, depending on the tide. This is shown by NIOZ oceanographer Tim de Groot, in a publication in Nature Communications Earth and Environment. “Our research shows that you can never rely on one measurement when you want to know how much methane escapes from the seafloor,” De Groot emphasizes.

Swamp gas at sea

Methane (CH4) is a particularly strong greenhouse gas. Among other sources, it is produced when plant remains and other organic material in the bottom of a swamp or a canal, but also in the bottom of the North Sea, is broken down by bacteria, in the absence of oxygen. In the case of the North Sea, this involves old layers of organic materials at a depth of up to 600 meters in the seabed, which is converted by bacteria into methane. And like from a muddy canal that you poke into with a stick, that methane can also escape from the sea floor when the pressure gets high enough.

Large variation

To close the books on all sources and sinks of greenhouse gases, it is important for climate science to know how much methane is coming out of the seafloor and, more importantly, how much of that powerful greenhouse gas reaches the atmosphere. De Groot now cautions against jumping to conclusions in that research. Measurements at a bubbling methane source at a depth of forty meters, near the Dogger Bank which is located roughly between Denmark and Scotland, showed that considerable variations can occur. Not only do methane emissions differ between summer and winter, but high and low tides also appear to have a robust influence: emissions can easily be three times higher or lower depending on the tide. “If you don’t take this effect into account, you will probably over- or underestimate the methane emission from the sea bottom,” says De Groot.

Bacteria eating methane

In summer, when the water is slightly calmer and warmer and different temperature layers can be seen, measurably less methane is released from the water into the air above it. De Groot attributes this phenomenon to the activity of yet other bacteria, that actually consume methane and then emit it as the less potent greenhouse gas CO2. “In summer, the water is calmer, and the methane is more concentrated in the lower layers. Bacteria then have more time to convert the gas into water and CO2“, De Groot says.

Warning colleagues

One cannot really influence the amount of methane escaping from the soil or being cleared by bacteria in seawater. Nevertheless, De Groot notes that the warming of the climate, in this case has a positive effect. “In warmer waters, more methane is consumed by bacteria. On the other hand, increasing storms may enhance the amount of methane that escapes to the atmosphere.”

The research by De Groot and colleagues is therefore primarily a warning to colleagues in science. “If you take too few measurements and then only during high tide or in the summer, you could easily conclude that the amount of methane from the seabed is not that bad. You can only get an adequate picture of the emission of this greenhouse gas if you take regular measurements, preferably in different seasons,” says De Groot.



Journal

Communications Earth & Environment

DOI

10.1038/s43247-024-01483-8

Article Title

Tidal and seasonal influence on cold seep activity and methanotroph efficiency in the North Sea

Article Publication Date

12-Jul-2024

Share26Tweet17
Previous Post

Unprecedented warming threatens earth’s lakes and their ecosystems

Next Post

Forest carbon storage has declined across much of the Western U.S., likely due to drought and fire

Related Posts

blank
Marine

The Impact of Climate Change on the Mediterranean Sea: What We Need to Know

September 5, 2025
blank
Marine

Biologist Julian Schrader Awarded ERC Starting Grant for Research on Plants, Islands, and Climate Change

September 5, 2025
blank
Marine

Unusual Forehead Teeth Discovered in Common Fish: A Unique Adaptation for Mating

September 4, 2025
blank
Marine

Ghost Sharks Develop Forehead Teeth to Aid in Reproduction

September 4, 2025
blank
Marine

Seagrass Exchange May Transform the Chesapeake Bay Food Web

September 4, 2025
blank
Marine

UCSB Scientists Warn Human Impact on Oceans to Double by 2050

September 4, 2025
Next Post
Severely burned forest landscape in Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA

Forest carbon storage has declined across much of the Western U.S., likely due to drought and fire

  • Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    27544 shares
    Share 11014 Tweet 6884
  • University of Seville Breaks 120-Year-Old Mystery, Revises a Key Einstein Concept

    959 shares
    Share 384 Tweet 240
  • Bee body mass, pathogens and local climate influence heat tolerance

    643 shares
    Share 257 Tweet 161
  • Researchers record first-ever images and data of a shark experiencing a boat strike

    510 shares
    Share 204 Tweet 128
  • Warm seawater speeding up melting of ‘Doomsday Glacier,’ scientists warn

    313 shares
    Share 125 Tweet 78
Science

Embark on a thrilling journey of discovery with Scienmag.com—your ultimate source for cutting-edge breakthroughs. Immerse yourself in a world where curiosity knows no limits and tomorrow’s possibilities become today’s reality!

RECENT NEWS

  • Intronic Element Controls Ligase IV, Directs Thymocyte Development
  • Advancements in Photocatalysis for Pollution Cleanup
  • New Study Reveals Rapid Insect Decline in Pristine Ecosystems
  • Scientists Uncover Vast Geo-Hydrogen Reservoir West of Mussau Trench

Categories

  • Agriculture
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Athmospheric
  • Biology
  • Blog
  • Bussines
  • Cancer
  • Chemistry
  • Climate
  • Earth Science
  • Marine
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine
  • Pediatry
  • Policy
  • Psychology & Psychiatry
  • Science Education
  • Social Science
  • Space
  • Technology and Engineering

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 5,183 other subscribers

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Discover more from Science

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading