The methane is frozen. It sublimates as temperatures rise and a pocket of gas builds-up until the pressure is too much for the overburden to withstand, then it blows. The methane isn't burned, just released suddenly when the rock fails, if memory serves. On Fri, Aug 1, 2014 at 2:30 PM, CenturyLink Customer <jcarman6@q.com> wrote:
What is the mechanics of what's happening here? A super concentrated methane pocket under the permafrost. The permafrost melts enough to expose the methane to what? Heat? Air? So it blows. How is the methane concentration still so high after the blow out? Isn't the methane now mixing with the atmosphere and reducing its concentration? or is methane heavier than the air and is remaining at the bottom?
Inquiring minds want to know.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Seth Jarvis" <SJarvis@slco.org> To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Friday, August 1, 2014 1:07:27 PM Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Siberian CraterS
Methane blow-outs from thawing arctic permafrost. Probes lowered into the holes record methane levels 50,000 times greater than normal atmospheric concentrations.