Sep 8, 2026 04:48 PM
New study raises concerns about climate feedback loop as melting Arctic glaciers flush ancient methane from rocks beneath the ice
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1142474
EXCERPTS: Meltwater rivers flowing from Svalbard glaciers are carrying ancient methane from rocks beneath the ice into the open air, new research shows. The findings reveal a natural feedback loop that may worsen as the Arctic continues to get warmer. Melting glaciers can open hidden pathways for methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Put simply, the more glaciers melt, the more methane they are likely to release.
[...] Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas. While this study focuses on Svalbard, similar methane-release pathways likely occur in other glaciated regions where ice overlies organic-rich rocks or sediments. These include large parts of the Arctic, the Himalayas and Antarctica.
Gabrielle explains that: “The amounts reported here are small compared with human-caused emissions from fossil fuels, farming and waste. But they matter because they reveal a natural feedback loop that is not confined to Svalbard, and that may grow as the Arctic warms.”
As glaciers thin and retreat, more meltwater may reach their beds. This can increase contact with fractured rock, sediment and groundwater. In some places, that may flush out more methane. However, the story is not simple. Some Svalbard glaciers are also becoming colder at their beds as they shrink. If a glacier becomes frozen to its bed, its ability to flush methane through subglacial rivers may fall.
“Our results show that future methane release will depend on both geology and glacier change,” Gabrielle says. “That makes it important to know what lies beneath the ice, not only how fast the ice is melting.” (MORE - missing details, no ads)
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1142474
EXCERPTS: Meltwater rivers flowing from Svalbard glaciers are carrying ancient methane from rocks beneath the ice into the open air, new research shows. The findings reveal a natural feedback loop that may worsen as the Arctic continues to get warmer. Melting glaciers can open hidden pathways for methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Put simply, the more glaciers melt, the more methane they are likely to release.
[...] Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas. While this study focuses on Svalbard, similar methane-release pathways likely occur in other glaciated regions where ice overlies organic-rich rocks or sediments. These include large parts of the Arctic, the Himalayas and Antarctica.
Gabrielle explains that: “The amounts reported here are small compared with human-caused emissions from fossil fuels, farming and waste. But they matter because they reveal a natural feedback loop that is not confined to Svalbard, and that may grow as the Arctic warms.”
As glaciers thin and retreat, more meltwater may reach their beds. This can increase contact with fractured rock, sediment and groundwater. In some places, that may flush out more methane. However, the story is not simple. Some Svalbard glaciers are also becoming colder at their beds as they shrink. If a glacier becomes frozen to its bed, its ability to flush methane through subglacial rivers may fall.
“Our results show that future methane release will depend on both geology and glacier change,” Gabrielle says. “That makes it important to know what lies beneath the ice, not only how fast the ice is melting.” (MORE - missing details, no ads)