Scientists say the depths of the Black Sea are still trapped in the Ice Age 12,000 years after its end – RT World News

In a recently published study, researchers claim to have found a “Very dynamic situation” relating to “Development of the Black Sea since the last ice age.” Their analysis of the state of gas hydrate deposits – methane trapped in water molecules that physically resemble ice – is a delayed response to climatic phenomena.

Investigators using core drilling technology, geophysical logging and in situ temperature measurements said data from drilling sites in the Romanian section of the Black Sea suggested that the levels of free methane below the seabed did not correspond to those in other places.

“This shows that the gas hydrate system in the deep Danube basin is still responding to climate changes initiated at the end of the last ice maximum. [the Ice Age], “ the researchers state in their article.

Also on rt.com
Netherlands-sized rainforest destroyed in 2020 despite Covid-19 lockdowns – Report

An important part of their study concerns the “Gas hydrate stability zone” – the lowest point at which gas hydrates are formed naturally due to temperature and pressure. “From our point of view, the limit of stability of the gas hydrate has already approached the warmer conditions of the subsoil, but the free methane, which is still at this lower edge, has not yet managed to rise with it ”. said Michael Riedel, one of the study’s co-authors.

The environment of the Black Sea itself has changed dramatically since the last Ice Age. The sea level is 100m higher, the salty water of the Mediterranean Sea may have spread through the once lake-like body, and global warming has seen the bottom temperature rise.

The study highlights the complex responses and timescales of climate change on marine environments, providing more data on the expected consequences of modern climate change.

If you like this story, please share it with a friend!