Scientists have discovered large-scale methane emissions in Antarctica

Spanish scientists have recorded large-scale methane emissions in the bowels of Antarctica. This was reported by the newspaper El Pais on February 12.

"A team of Spanish scientists has discovered 'huge emissions' of methane at the bottom of Antarctica, a gas capable of heating the planet about 30 times more than carbon dioxide (CO₂)," the publication said.

The expedition leaders, geologists Ricardo Leon and Roger Urgeles, said the methane pillars discovered were 700 meters long and 70 meters wide. These emissions could be a climate bomb for the planet, they said. Scientists warned that there could be underwater landslides and tsunamis as a result.

"When methane hydrates become a gas, they take up a volume 160 times larger. If it doesn't dissipate quickly, it could lead to huge landslides," Urgeles shared.

Kingdom of ice: what secrets the South Pole hides

Take an unusual journey across Antarctica with Izvestia's special project

Earlier, on February 8, the Daily Mail (DM) newspaper, citing the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), reported that scientists found particles of microplastic in snowdrifts near scientific bases in remote areas of Antarctica. It is noted that this is the first time that tiny pieces of plastic have been found in such remote locations.