Across the Arctic, lakes are leaking dangerous greenhouse gases

Alaska: Katey Walter Anthony has studied about 300 lakes across the tundras of the Arctic. But sitting on the mucky shore of her latest discovery, the Arctic expert said she'd never seen a lake like this one.

Methane gas released from seep holes at
the bottom Esieh Lake ripples the surface.

Set against the austere peaks of the Western Brooks Range, the lake, about 20 football fields in size, looked as if it was boiling. Its waters hissed, bubbled and popped as a powerful greenhouse gas escaped from the lake bed. Some bubbles grew as big as grapefruit, visibly lifting the water's surface several inches and carrying up bits of mud from below.

This was methane.

Read the story by Chris Mooney from The Age - “Across the Arctic, lakes are leaking dangerous greenhouse gases.”