From the American Chemical Society.
I wonder if they studied how much methane comes from sediment loads dropped by rivers naturally and compared them? The Mississippi Delta alone must be a terrible offender.
Sediment trapped behind dams makes them ‘hot spots’ for greenhouse gas emissions
With the “green” reputation of large hydroelectric dams already in question, scientists are reporting that millions of smaller dams on rivers around the world make an important contribution to the greenhouse gases linked to global climate change. Their study, showing that more methane than previously believed bubbles out of the water behind small dams, appears in ACS’ journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Andreas Maeck and colleagues point out that the large reservoirs of water behind the world’s 50,000 large dams are a known source of methane. Like carbon dioxide, methane is one of the greenhouse gases, which trap heat near Earth’s surface and contribute to global warming. Methane, however, has a warming effect 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. The methane comes from organic matter in the sediments that accumulate behind dams.
That knowledge led to questions about hydroelectric power’s image as a green and nonpolluting energy source. Maeck’s team decided to take a look at methane releases from the water impoundments behind smaller dams that store water less than 50 feet deep.
They describe analysis of methane release from water impounded behind six small dams on a European river. “Our results suggest that sedimentation-driven methane emissions from dammed river hot spot sites can potentially increase global freshwater emissions by up to 7 percent,” said the report. It noted that such emissions are likely to increase due to a boom in dam construction fostered by the quest for new energy sources and water shortages.
The authors acknowledge funding from the German Research Foundation.
The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world’s largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
See also:
An alarmist prediction so bad, even Gavin Schmidt thinks it is implausible
and
An alarmist prediction so bad, even Gavin Schmidt thinks it is implausible
Oh, and this methane (CH4) projection versus reality from the IPCC AR5:
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Geomicrobiology of marine sediment containing methane
Marine sediments contain an abundance of methane that is biologically produced and plays a significant role in the global carbon cycle. Microbes responsible for the carbon cycle in marine sediments, and the processes that they carry out, need to be characterized in order to fully understand the role of this large methane reservoir in the global carbon cycle.
http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/handle/1957/25778
Methane production and consumption in anoxic marine sediments
The production of methane in anoxic environments can lead to significant accumulations of this gas in appropriate marine sediments. However, the uniformly low methane concentrations in marine, anoxic, sulfate-reducing sea water and sediments represents a balance between production by methanogenic bacteria and consumption by sulfate-reducing bacteria. The primary sink for anaerobically generated methane in marine sediments is sulfate reduction, not aerobic oxidation.
http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/4/5/297.abstract
So instead of bubbling out of the sea, as in yesteryear, it now bubbles out of the rivers.
And someone writes scary research on this; you just could not make it up.
So, was the Medieval Warm Period caused by the increased number of monasteries in Europe, each of which built dams to create their fishponds? That would mean that the Reformation and the dissolution of the monasteries caused the Little Ice Age.
Where do I apply for my research grant?
What about all the storm water retention ponds that are mandated in new subdivisions. Not only do they collect organic sediment but all the oils off cars and any other matter of runoff. I’m sure methane production is quite rapid in these as well as mercury production, H2S, etc. Of course SOP is to clean these out every 20 or 30 years….that is until a rare spiny turtle or some exotic toad or plant takes root then all bets are off. Unintended consequences….what do you mean by that? 😉
It is obvious that the real problem isn’t the PPM in the atmosphere, it is the methane acidification of the dam lake.
If the dam acidification goes any higher, those dam snails won’t be able to make their shells and the whole dam ecosystem will fail. Furthermore, the acidification will eat away at the dam walls, causing the dam to fail, releasing instant and catastrophic amounts of methane to be released, and the whole dam atmosphere will be polluted.
We have to act right now on this dam problem!!
I can see a new WWF t-shirt … “Save the planet, kill a beaver.”
To produce methane with a microbe, you need either FERMENTATION or a supply of HYDROGEN:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methanogen
That’s why most methane on Earth–contrary to the fossil dogma–must be GEO-LOGICAL, not BIO-LOGICAL.
RE:Mike Smith says:
July 31, 2013 at 11:37 am
Thanks for sharing that. It made my day!
RE: jai mitchell says:
July 31, 2013 at 12:09 pm
“The methane sediments began to be deposited around that time. before that the area was above water….”
Sorry, but I can match you link for link with evidence that the arctic was more ice free than it is today as recently as a thousand years ago, when the Vikings settled Greenland. Back around 6000 years ago the arctic sea was not only ice free, but higher, and made wave-washed arctic beaches above the current sea level that geologists can show you, if you bother to look. Both these factors throw a wrench in your calculations of methane building up without being disturbed, until now. The fact is, there were plenty of disruptions.
before the area was inundated with water it was frozen solid up to and most likely sometime after the beginning of the Holocene, only after that was permafrost eroded away into the river deltas below the permanent sea ice, and this process continued through the last 10,000 years.
Gary Pearse,
Thank you for your kind words. However, I am not hear to exchange compliments.
I am here to share with you something that should be inherently obvious.
You say that Gavin was praised here because he wasn’t ready to accept the possibility that something “preposterous” could happen.
1. In that single statement is the crux of your challenged position in this field of science.
a) That Gavin wasn’t ready to accept the possibility that something “preposterous” could happen, when he actually only stated that it was highly unlikely.
and
b) That anyone here can possibly determine that the release of methane from the ESAS sedimentary layers after being covered with sea ice in a below freezing environment for thousands of years CANNOT POSSIBLY HAPPEN, even though the 3 main scientists in the world who actually spend their summers AND winters up there for the last decade CAN’T POSSIBLY TELL US THAT IT IS A POSSIBILITY.
This indicates an anti-science basis for a belief that is either based in not knowing the science or not caring about the science.
Face it Gary, the vast amount of opposition to the concept of global warming is based on an irrational fear that those who promote the science of global warming are actually promoting socialism and wealth redistribution which must be fought at any price, regardless of the actual science.
in other words, this isn’t a scientific argument it is an ideological one. With an almost pathological disregard for the consequences.
or, in other words, if you or I or anyone else was speaking at the Heartland conference and asked the audience,
“If global warming actually WAS happening and the ONLY solution was a communal effort similar to a WWII wartime mobilization with appropriated/contracted production combined with increased tax rates and windfall profit taxes, would you be opposed to those actions even if not doing them meant that future generations of Americans would suffer and die?”
upon asking that question, how many honest answers do you suppose would be “Yes, I would want those actions to happen, if Global warming was real”?
Wonderstump Jai sez:
Do you imagine before the dams existed that methane soaked silt slipped between legs of infinitely stacked turtles and disappeared into the dark world below? River deposits have always gone somewhere and will always go somewhere. Much of modern Arizona is sitting at the bottom of the Sea of Cortez at this moment. The soil of eastern Washington State is sitting at the bottom of the Pacific ocean thanks to multiple glacial dam bursts that left Portlandia, Oregon under 300′ of fresh glacial lake water. All of the midwest silt flows down the Mississippi river and creates land fill for New Orleans’s leaky dikes and which probably gives much of NO its distinct stink. Care to wonder where the headwaters of the Red River end up?
Mike Smith
You’re welcome.
The current temperatures are far higher than the MWA and basically tied with the Minoan Warming Period.
As far as the sea ice that was existing over the ESAS, sure, fine, show me a link to a peer reviewed study that shows that this area was ice free during this period. I’d love to see it.
dp
the simple fact is that they have taken direct core samples of the sedimentary deposits and found 1,000 GT of methane. I don’t know why you think talking about the sea of cortez has anything to do with it? are you feeling ok???
oh, I see, you thought we were talking about deposits behind dams. no, we are talking about the Eastern Siberian Arctic Shelf and the methane rich sedimentary drape produced by the Lena, OB and other rivers in the area.
I just found this video, interview with Natalia Shakhova regarding their findings.
definitely worth watching.
Will these guys ever stop looking for the bogey man under their beds to blame so that they can rage and take more freedoms from people..?
Most people who know about how the methane got their in the first place understand that microbes cause it and then they are followed by microbes that eat it…
Damn you jai mitchell. I have asked you here to explain what happened to the methane. 1,000 years of ice free Arctic summers did not lead to the destruction of the biosphere. Negative feedbacks.
freddy says: @ur momisugly July 31, 2013 at 11:09 am
Does that mean I can blow up any Beaver dam I come across?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Please Please DO, I have a couple that need blowing.
What is even more amusing is the near by city has a problem with Giardiasis (beaver fever) and takes their city water just down stream from where my beaver pond water enters the river. I asked the city if they wanted to test the beaver on my land but they declined saying they already knew the beaver were infected. This of course never makes it into the news or into discussions at town hall meetings.
The blackout is so complete that a friend after months of doctor’s visits finally had to send fecal samples from her toddler to her vet to get a positive diagnosis. When the authorities found out she was threated with criminal proceedings. (The newspapers refused to print her story of course.)
Swamps and beaver are sacred of course so it won’t do to tell let the public know that a disease immune to public water treatment is carried by those cute little beavers… And you though polar bear mania was bad.
(I have well water and don’t drink city water.)
jai mitchell, it’s worse than we thought. See the temperatures back to 1958 and compare them to this summer so far. It’s not going your way my friend.
Arctic temperature
http://ocean.dmi.dk/arctic/meant80n.uk.php
Sea ice extent
http://ocean.dmi.dk/arctic/icecover.uk.php
jai mitchell says:
July 31, 2013 at 12:09 pm
milodonharlani
The methane sediments began to be deposited around that time. before that the area was above water.
——————-
“Around that time”. Around what time do you refer?
During the cyclic Pleistocene glaciations, the continental shelf off Siberia has been alternately under water, dry land & under ice for the past 2.4 million years, before which time, ie during the Pliocene, it was mainly under water. I’ve previously posted dating for permafrost, which applies to offshore buried hydrates as well.
jai mitchell says:
July 31, 2013 at 3:42 pm
Mike Smith
You’re welcome.
The current temperatures are far higher than the MWA and basically tied with the Minoan Warming Period.
————————–
This is so false as to be a blatant lie. Current temperatures in the Arctic & just about everywhere else are lower than in the Medieval Warm Period, the Roman Warm Period, the Minoan Warm Period & especially the Holocene Climatic Optimum. Proxy data show this observation to be what in science is known as a fact.
If you really think that you have evidence for the Modern Warm Period’s being far hotter than these earlier warm periods, then by all means, please trot it out. If not, then kindly quit spewing glaring falsehoods.
Richard M says:
July 31, 2013 at 2:19 pm
I can see a new WWF t-shirt … “Save the planet, kill a beaver.”
*********************************************
Richard
It’s been done. However, the T-shirt slogan was a bit different. It was: “save a tree, eat a beaver.”
Jimbo
and yet we are basically tied with 2009 and 2010 with a very high likelihood that we will pass the 2007 minimum values, when the air has been absolutely frigid due to the collapse of the jet stream.
milodonharlani
This is so false as to be a blatant lie. Current temperatures in the Arctic & just about everywhere else are lower than in the Medieval Warm Period, the Roman Warm Period, the Minoan Warm Period & especially the Holocene Climatic Optimum. Proxy data show this observation to be what in science is known as a fact.
proof??? because the proxy data I have seen shows significantly lower globally averaged temperatures and even comparatively identical current temperatures to both the Minoan warm and the Holocene optimum.
Beaver fever is a parasitic disease caused by the flagellate protozoan Giardia lamblia organism. Any modern day water treatment plant should be remove/kill this parasite from the water. That being said major reservoir hosts for the parasite include beavers, dogs, cats, horses, humans, cattle and birds, So maybe Beaver fever is more of a Fido fever.
Maybe we should start drilling and “fracking” those dam sediments (along with the Lena, Ob, Yenesei, and Lake Baikal, to settle poor old Jai down), burn the CH4, thus reducing it to poor old CO2, which doesn’t do a dam thing.