Methane leaks multiplying beneath Antarctic ocean spark fears of climate doom loop

An underwater photograph of a diver collecting samples at a methane seep in Cape Evans, Antarctica. .

A potent greenhouse gas has begun seeping out of the Antarctic seafloor in dozens of places, scientists have discovered.

Researchers documented the emergence of these methane seeps in shallow regions of the Ross Sea, a bay off the southern coast of Antarctica. The patches of leaking gas could be caused by global warming, and they could also threaten to accelerate it further, according to a new study published Oct. 1 in the journal Nature Communications.