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Catfish · 05-05-10, 06:58 AM

Hello,

gas hydrates bind the most of the Carbon being available within the earth's outer lithosphere, sediments and atmosphere, the release of some of it would boost the already high concentration, in the atmosphere.
However no one knows what would really happen, if such a reservoir is being "hit". Some ships losses have been explained with a sudden release of CH and CO bubbles (in giant amounts) from the ocean floor, because the upwelling bubbles destroy the load-carrying capacity of water.

Rising climate temperature (speaking of 1-2 degrees Celsius) will make those buffers release their CO, thus amplifying the greenhouse effect (rising temperatures lead to more release of CO -> CO2 -> rising temperatures)

In the last few thousand years (and most probably before) gas hydrates and CaCO3 reservoirs being "trapped" underwater acted as buffers for balancing rise and fall of CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere, however the build up that took 2 million years before the Perm crisis some 300 million years ago with 98 percent of all species extinct, has now reached the peak and saturation in some 200 years. The problem is, that with current Ca available in the seas and the global temperature, the buffers are full and the CO can most probably not be withdrawn from the atmosphere any more.

An even greater risk are the gas hydrates being trapped and frozen in Sibiria on the continent, where the unfreezing of the soil would release enormous quantities of greenhouse gases.

Regarding drilling the seawater in greater depths has not the temperature to crack the chemical bond, so most probably nothing will happen. Maybe the rig will sink due to gas bubble release, but no greater release of CO2 due to the whole reservoir being unfrozen. But - nobody knows for sure.
However the "Deepwater Horizon" sank due to the fire and damage, not gas bubbles.

Greetings,
Catfish

05-05-10, 06:58 AM	#77
Catfish Dipped Squirrel Operative Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: ..where the ocean meets the sky Posts: 17,797 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	Hello, gas hydrates bind the most of the Carbon being available within the earth's outer lithosphere, sediments and atmosphere, the release of some of it would boost the already high concentration, in the atmosphere. However no one knows what would really happen, if such a reservoir is being "hit". Some ships losses have been explained with a sudden release of CH and CO bubbles (in giant amounts) from the ocean floor, because the upwelling bubbles destroy the load-carrying capacity of water. Rising climate temperature (speaking of 1-2 degrees Celsius) will make those buffers release their CO, thus amplifying the greenhouse effect (rising temperatures lead to more release of CO -> CO2 -> rising temperatures) In the last few thousand years (and most probably before) gas hydrates and CaCO3 reservoirs being "trapped" underwater acted as buffers for balancing rise and fall of CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere, however the build up that took 2 million years before the Perm crisis some 300 million years ago with 98 percent of all species extinct, has now reached the peak and saturation in some 200 years. The problem is, that with current Ca available in the seas and the global temperature, the buffers are full and the CO can most probably not be withdrawn from the atmosphere any more. An even greater risk are the gas hydrates being trapped and frozen in Sibiria on the continent, where the unfreezing of the soil would release enormous quantities of greenhouse gases. Regarding drilling the seawater in greater depths has not the temperature to crack the chemical bond, so most probably nothing will happen. Maybe the rig will sink due to gas bubble release, but no greater release of CO2 due to the whole reservoir being unfrozen. But - nobody knows for sure. However the "Deepwater Horizon" sank due to the fire and damage, not gas bubbles. Greetings, Catfish Last edited by Catfish; 05-05-10 at 10:29 AM.