Mystery of Siberian explosive craters solved
October 26, 2024 7:43 AM Subscribe
Ugh. I'd heard of these and figured they were likely methane related. See also: Clathrate Gun Hypothesis. Fun times.
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 8:02 AM on October 26 [3 favorites]
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 8:02 AM on October 26 [3 favorites]
Ugh indeed. Used my googles to look for more pictures of cryopegs and found this one.
Very explosiony looking hole.
posted by BlueHorse at 8:54 AM on October 26 [1 favorite]
Very explosiony looking hole.
posted by BlueHorse at 8:54 AM on October 26 [1 favorite]
Previously.
The Earth has fired its starting gun. Off to the races.
posted by rory at 9:31 AM on October 26 [3 favorites]
The Earth has fired its starting gun. Off to the races.
posted by rory at 9:31 AM on October 26 [3 favorites]
Sometimes it's exactly the tipping point event it obviously probably was all along.
posted by Smedly, Butlerian jihadi at 10:03 AM on October 26 [1 favorite]
posted by Smedly, Butlerian jihadi at 10:03 AM on October 26 [1 favorite]
Would this be an explanation for the Tunguska Event? I know it's generally assumed to have been an air burst explosion from a meteor but IIRC no remains for a meteor have been found there.
posted by fader at 10:32 AM on October 26
posted by fader at 10:32 AM on October 26
Anthropogenic methane emissions were dramatically increasing over the previous decates too, with an extra little bost lately from the LNG facilities.
Infrared footage from largest scientific study of oil & gas methane emissions
I've seen IR videos of even larger methane releases, but posted on Twitter. And smaller methane plumes from buried natural gas pipelines IR footage from cattle farms too.
posted by jeffburdges at 10:40 AM on October 26 [2 favorites]
Infrared footage from largest scientific study of oil & gas methane emissions
I've seen IR videos of even larger methane releases, but posted on Twitter. And smaller methane plumes from buried natural gas pipelines IR footage from cattle farms too.
posted by jeffburdges at 10:40 AM on October 26 [2 favorites]
See also: Clathrate Gun Hypothesis. Fun times.
I read the novel, The Swarm. Was pretty good, kinda grim and this is not feel good news. Though interesting.
posted by From Bklyn at 12:05 PM on October 26 [3 favorites]
I read the novel, The Swarm. Was pretty good, kinda grim and this is not feel good news. Though interesting.
posted by From Bklyn at 12:05 PM on October 26 [3 favorites]
Ah, when the thaw reaches a cryopeg...
posted by doctornemo at 12:19 PM on October 26
posted by doctornemo at 12:19 PM on October 26
Would this be an explanation for the Tunguska Event? I know it's generally assumed to have been an air burst explosion from a meteor but IIRC no remains for a meteor have been found there.Good question. Short answer: no. Longer answer: I see Wikipedia has the low-end estimate for the event at 3 megatons—it flattened trees tens of miles away. That would require a surreal quantity of methane and doesn’t explain the numerous eyewitness reports of a light seen moving through the sky.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 3:58 PM on October 26 [4 favorites]
Some reminders: not only will we need to stop emitting heat trapping pollution and stop destroying habitat, but we will have to remove much of our own emissions and those we've triggered from the natural environment and restore lost habitat etc. The more carbon reservoirs that get activated, and the more carbon sinks faulter, the even more mind-bogglong the scale. The sheer energy needed to do this is multiples of what our civilization uses in a year, and some triggered natural emissions are now getting bigger than many countries ghg emissions (think canada wildfires).
Also, while methane gets quoted at 20 or even 86 times the ghg heat trapping capacity of co2, its one two assumptions, that it oxidizes fully to co2 and water, and that process proceeds before the stratosphere (or higher) and on pace. The initial instantaneous heat trapping for methane in 125. So instead of picture a staircase of emissions like co2, each methane stair starts with a 125x tall heatbeat spike that decays over the years down to 1x size, about 20ish years....
unless conditions slow the oxidation, leave it incomplete or allow amounts to reach the statosphere (where the water produced is a potent greenhouse gas and ozone antsgonist. worse if the methane isnt oxidized in the stratosphere, and gets above it (right now exceptionally little does) but it would avoid oxidation and stay at 125x potency.
The actual clathrate gun is not going to take us to venus, but methane increases in the atmosphere make efforts to slow the climate death of the holocene incredibly implausible.
Halt all emissions and habitat destruction now, use what little non-polluting power we have to run agriculture and food distribution, and power the efforts to accelerate habitat restoration and combat erosion/salinization of soils etc.
the question is "will anything survive" and our actions can answer yes.
posted by No Climate - No Food, No Food - No Future. at 1:10 AM on October 27 [3 favorites]
Also, while methane gets quoted at 20 or even 86 times the ghg heat trapping capacity of co2, its one two assumptions, that it oxidizes fully to co2 and water, and that process proceeds before the stratosphere (or higher) and on pace. The initial instantaneous heat trapping for methane in 125. So instead of picture a staircase of emissions like co2, each methane stair starts with a 125x tall heatbeat spike that decays over the years down to 1x size, about 20ish years....
unless conditions slow the oxidation, leave it incomplete or allow amounts to reach the statosphere (where the water produced is a potent greenhouse gas and ozone antsgonist. worse if the methane isnt oxidized in the stratosphere, and gets above it (right now exceptionally little does) but it would avoid oxidation and stay at 125x potency.
The actual clathrate gun is not going to take us to venus, but methane increases in the atmosphere make efforts to slow the climate death of the holocene incredibly implausible.
Halt all emissions and habitat destruction now, use what little non-polluting power we have to run agriculture and food distribution, and power the efforts to accelerate habitat restoration and combat erosion/salinization of soils etc.
the question is "will anything survive" and our actions can answer yes.
posted by No Climate - No Food, No Food - No Future. at 1:10 AM on October 27 [3 favorites]
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posted by stbalbach at 7:45 AM on October 26 [1 favorite]