Bubbling up of Methane is seen from unexpected places on ocean floor and concerns are being raised for the implications on global warming. More than 500 methane vents have been detected by the researchers on the Atlantic Ocean Floor off the US east coast, says NBS news.

The contribution of this gas to global warming would be high say the scientists and some detected emissions originating from depths, wherein warming has led to leaks has been pointed out.

In the past, there has been a large detection of methane seeps along continental shelf or above regions of tectonic activity.

Since the seeps have now been discovered this time along the continental margin, it is suggested that scientists will have to start looking at the presence in several other places across the ocean floors and this has to be factored into the climate models.

Although this gas which has been detected isn’t sampled yet, the scientists have arrived at the conclusion on the basis of circumstantial evidence that follows the temperatures and depth of the origin.

There are around 440 of them that have their origination at depths which are at limit of stability and will be affected with warming of waters. The leakage of gas is seen from gas hydrates that are ice-like condensates of methane as well as water that is formed under high pressures and cold temperatures of ocean floors. Some carbon in hydrates gets oxidized naturally and it acidified naturally. Some end up as rock carbonates and escape to surface as carbon dioxide and methane. There may be an increase in this last segment with the rise of temperatures of the water.

Hydrates hold 10 times more carbon as compared to atmosphere.