Methane in Gulf of Mexico ‘astonishingly high’ – Nearly a million times above background levels

[Barrett808]

Texas A&M University oceanography professor John Kessler, just back from a 10-day research expedition near the BP Plc oil spill in the gulf, says methane gas levels in some areas are "astonishingly high."

Kessler's crew took measurements of both surface and deep water within a 5-mile (8 kilometer) radius of BP's broken wellhead.

"There is an incredible amount of methane in there," Kessler told reporters in a telephone briefing.

Methane in Gulf of Mexico ‘astonishingly high’ – Nearly a million times above background levels

[SammyWinstonJack]

1. K&R

[Catherina]

2. That well didn't want to be drilled. This isn't good at all n/t

[JitterbugPerfume]

3. the dead zone this will cause in the Gulf/Atlantic

will change our environment for ages to come

How sad

[Barrett808]

8. The Gulf dead zone was already pretty big:

Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone, 2009

[Barrett808]

4. Oxygen levels down in Gulf of Mexico oil plumes, dropping 1 to 2 percent per day

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8620227

[Uncle Joe]

5. I wonder if the burning of oil on the surface of the Gulf could set off a Methane explosion/inferno?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane_gas

Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula CH4. It is the simplest alkane, and the principal component of natural gas. Methane's bond angles are 109.5 degrees. Burning methane in the presence of oxygen produces carbon dioxide and water. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel. However, because it is a gas at normal temperature and pressure, methane is difficult to transport from its source. In its natural gas form, it is generally transported in bulk by pipeline or LNG carriers; few countries transport it by truck.
Methane was discovered and isolated by Alessandro Volta between 1776 and 1778 when studying marsh gas from Lake Maggiore.

Methane is a relatively potent greenhouse gas. Compared with carbon dioxide, it has a high global warming potential of 72 (calculated over a period of 20 years) or 25 (for a time period of 100 years).<2> Methane in the atmosphere is eventually oxidized, producing carbon dioxide and water. As a result, methane in the atmosphere has a half life of seven years.

The abundance of methane in the Earth's atmosphere in 1998 was 1745 parts per billion (ppb), up from 700 ppb in 1750. By 2008, however, global methane levels, which had stayed mostly flat since 1998, had risen to 1,800 ppb<3>. By 2010, methane levels, at least in the arctic, were measured at 1850 ppb, a level scientists described as being higher than at any time in the previous 400,000 years.<4> (Historically, methane concentrations in the world's atmosphere have ranged between 300 and 400 ppb during glacial periods commonlly known as ice ages, and between 600 to 700 ppb during the warm interglacial periods).

<snip>

Methane is not toxic; however, it is highly flammable and may form explosive mixtures with air. Methane is violently reactive with oxidizers, halogens, and some halogen-containing compounds. Methane is also an asphyxiant and may displace oxygen in an enclosed space. Asphyxia may result if the oxygen concentration is reduced to below 19.5% by displacement . The concentrations at which flammable or explosive mixtures form are much lower than the concentration at which asphyxiation risk is significant. When structures are built on or near landfills, methane off-gas can penetrate the buildings' interiors and expose occupants to significant levels of methane. Some buildings have specially engineered recovery systems below their basements to actively capture such fugitive off-gas and vent it away from the building. An example of this type of system is in the Dakin Building, Brisbane, California.

Thanks for the thread, Barrett.

[Barrett808]

7. Waving my hands here, but I wouldn't expect this methane to be combustible

I think it's dissolved in the water -- the problem is that it's bioavailable and microbes can gobble it up, either removing oxygen from the water (during metabolism), or after they die (during decay).

[eowyn_of_rohan]

6. kick

[AdHocSolver]

9. Methane is said to be many times more effective a greenhouse gas than CO2. n/t