Email to Eric Kort, 4/25/2012, asking for clarification about the timing of the methane releases that he observed over the Arctic Ocean (referenced in my post on the subject).

Dear Mr. Kort:

I am writing an item on your Nature paper for a climate website (Watts Up With That?) and have come across some conflicting reporting that I am hoping you can clarify. I tried to pay Nature the $18 to download your article itself but they seem to require a much more expensive subscription first, so I hope you don't mind me coming to the source.

What I am finding conflicting information on is the time of year when you found methane apparently floating up from areas of open water. In the reporting of sciencenews.org, Ellen Damm describes your finding as an Autumn/Winter finding: "For now, Damm says, there are no confirmed explanations for the mysterious methane releases from Arctic waters seen by Kort’s group during dark months."

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/340200/title/Arctic_sea_emits_methane

In accordance with this timing, she suggests that the methane release is likely caused by agitation of cold Arctic waters through the formation of ice crystals. This quote is from New Scientist: "Kort saw methane releases close to cracks in the sea ice, or in places where the ice had broken up. This could be because methane only escapes from agitated water, says Ellen Damm of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven, Germany. This agitation is most likely to occur when autumn sets in and ice crystals start forming in the water, creating turbulence."

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21733-arctic-methane-leaks-threaten-climate.html

But then the article by CBC News quotes you suggesting that the methane release comes from the melting of sea ice, not the freezing of sea ice: "A possibility is that it comes from living organisms in the surface waters, and that the gas is released during thawing of ice."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2012/04/23/tech-arctic-methane.html?cmp=rss

CBC then runs with this interpretation, citing unnamed "scientists" as suggesting that melting could create a warming feedback: "Scientists warn that melting ice may cause greater methane emissions, setting into motion a disturbing cycle. A warmer climate could cause more Arctic sea ice to crumble and release more methane stores, thus accelerating climate change."

You seem to echo this conclusion yourself in a report from Science Daily: "It's possible that as large areas of sea ice melt and expose more ocean water, methane production may increase, leading to larger methane emissions."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120424145145.htm

Given these conflicting interpretations, I'm seeking clarification on what you actually found. Was there a specific timing to the methane emissions that you observed, or was this a general phenomenon? Was it observed exclusively or primarily during "the dark months" as Damm relates, or did you see similar emissions over open water throughout the year?

In particular, did you observe increasing methane emissions as the spring and summer ice melt progressed? If not, what is the basis for your suggestion that increased ice melt will lead to more methane release?

Sorry to trouble you with this. Many thanks for any clarification you can offer.

Sincerely,

Alec Rawls
Palo Alto, CA