Antarctic methane discoveries skyrocket

Methane seeps—areas of the seafloor where methane escapes from beneath the seabed—are appearing at an accelerating rate in Antarctica’s shallow coastal waters, raising serious concerns about their potential impact on climate change. This research is part of a project funded by the Antarctic Science Platform and a Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Grant, led by Dr Sarah Seabrook of Earth Sciences New Zealand.

The discovery of dozens of new seep sites, some only recently formed, suggests a fundamental shift in regional methane release. If Antarctic seeps behave like those in other regions, they could become a significant, yet currently unaccounted-for, source of atmospheric methane—a potent greenhouse gas.

Dr Seabrook’s team uses remotely operated vehicles and divers under the ice to locate and study these sites, with findings published in *Nature Communications*. As sea ice continues to disappear, access to some locations is becoming increasingly difficult, underscoring the urgency of this work. The team will return this season to investigate further and better understand the implications for future climate scenarios.

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