Methane levels over the Arctic

High Methane Levels over Arctic Ocean continue in 2014

Arctic News,

8 January, 2014

The high methane levels over the Arctic Ocean, the biggest story of 2013, continue in 2014, as illustrated by the image below.

As above image shows, high methane readings (as high as 2301 ppb on January 6, 2014) continue in 2014. High methane concentrations continue to enter the atmosphere where the sea ice is thin and where the sea ice is carried by currents outside of the Arctic Ocean.

The inset shows ice thickness on January 6, 2014. The inset highlights the huge amounts of sea ice that are carried by the sea current from the north of Greenland into the Atlantic Ocean.

What is the impact of these high methane releases over the Arctic Ocean on global methane levels? The image below shows the most recent global methane levels available from NOAA.

Clearly, methane levels are rising and high releases over the Arctic Ocean will be contributing to the rise. The image below shows more recent data, from in situ measurements at the station at Barrow, Alaska.

The image below shows high methane releases over the Arctic Ocean, as recorded on (part of) January 7, 2014, when levels were as high as 2381 ppb.

The image below shows methane levels on (part of) January 8, 2014, when levels as high as 2341 ppb were recorded. The inset confirms indications that these high levels originate from the Arctic Ocean