David Archer – Subsea Permafrost and the Methane Cycle on the Siberian Continental Shelf

Green College UBC

Published on Mar 20, 2015

ARCTIC-WISE: Bridging Northern Knowledges of Change

Subsea Permafrost and the Methane Cycle on the Siberian Continental Shelf: Predictive Modelling for Climate Change
David Archer, Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago
Tuesday, March 10, 2015, 5-6:30 pm

A numerical model called SpongeBOB is used to simulate the hydrology and methane cycle on the Siberian continental shelf. Lowered sea level during glacial time exposed the sediment surface to the cold atmosphere, forming permafrost to a depth of a kilometre or more. Now in the interglacial time the permafrost is flooded by higher sea level, leading to its eventual melting. The model is used to predict how the glacial cycles, and future global warming, affect the methane budget of this area. The model predicts that methane hydrate is only stable near the bottom of the permafrost zone, hundreds of metres below the sediment surface. The hydrates are insulated from any rapid change in temperature that might occur in the overlying ocean. There is enough carbon in frozen sediments in the Arctic to drive a substantial carbon release in response to climate warming, but only on time scales of thousands of years.

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice

Oregon: Fire Chief Hopes Derailment Will Be “Death Knell” for Oil by Rail

June 06, 2016 Headlines

In Oregon, a so-called “bomb train” carrying volatile crude oil from North Dakota derailed Friday in the city of Mosier, causing a massive fire and forcing about 100 residents to evacuate. The crash damaged the wastewater treatment plant and sewer lines. Local fire chief Jim Appleton told Oregon Public Broadcasting that while he previously defended the safety of shipping oil by rail, he now thinks the shipments are “insane.” “I hope this becomes [the] death knell for this mode of shipping this cargo.”

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice

Australia storm kills three people, with more missing – BBC News

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-36442209

Three people are dead and more are missing after massive storms flooded rivers, uprooted trees and tore into beaches along Australia’s east coast.

Storms continue to batter southern New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

Erosion at Sydney’s Collaroy Beach has forced the evacuation of multi-million dollar homes, which are now in danger of collapsing.

In Tasmania, where major flood warnings have been issued for seven rivers, two elderly people are feared drowned.

A man was reportedly swept into the Ouse River from his own backyard on Monday, while a woman was missing after floodwaters inundated her house in the state’s north-west.

…(read more).

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice