A team of scientists has discovered that Arctic glaciers are leaking significant amounts of methane—a potent greenhouse gas—into the atmosphere.
Key Findings
- Location: Vallåkrabreen Glacier, Svalbard
- Published In: The findings were mentioned in a study, ‘Proglacial methane emissions driven by meltwater and groundwater flushing in a high-Arctic glacial catchment’, which was published in the journal Biogeosciences in February 2025.
- Source of Methane: The methane that was being released was not produced by microbial activity beneath the ice. Rather it came from thermogenic sources — methane that had been trapped in the region’s ancient geological formations for millions of years.
- Emission Pathways:
- Glacial melt rivers
- Groundwater springs
Why This Matters
Methane’s Impact:
- Responsible for 30% of global warming since preindustrial times
- 80 times more potent than CO₂ over a 20-year period
- Major contributor to ground-level ozone, linked to 1 million premature deaths annually
(Source: Indian Express)
