Four researchers from the Florida State University recently decided to investigate the connection between natural gases being released from the Arctic soils and the thawing of the permafrost in the region.
Their findings are a bit worrying. Thus, it seems that, as the Arctic area is getting warmer, methane – a greenhouse gas known to cause climate change – is starting to build up in our atmosphere.
As the scientists explain, the said methane is presently trapped under the Arctic soils and ice patches, which keep it from being released into the air.
However, as global warming thaws these soils and melts the ice, the aforementioned greenhouse gas can pretty much go where it wishes.
The paradox is that the more methane builds up in the air, the higher Arctic temperatures go.
This in turn leads to the permafrost releasing even more methane, so in the end odds are we will be looking at a vicious circle damaging both the natural world and human society at the same time.
According to the said researchers, “Methane is a very strong greenhouse gas that's grown three times faster than carbon dioxide since the industrial era. As the Arctic warms, the ice caps melt and the fissures open, so methane escapes and causes more warming.”
It is quite likely that some of the first people to find their lifestyle affected by this phenomena are the ones living in coastal areas, reports ScienceDaily
It is not difficult to guess why this should be so: as the ice melts, sea levels will obviously rise, which means that homes and real-estates built close to the beach might find themselves washed away.
One of the researchers involved in this study explains that “Along the flat Florida coastline, a 1-foot rise in sea level could cause anywhere from 10 to 100 feet of shoreline retreat – erosion. For us here in Florida, this is really important because we can expect the coast to recede.”
The same scientists claim that significant changes in Florida's coastline will be observable in 50-100 years from now.