Mysterious 'air pockets' on the ocean floor can contain 50 million tons of CO2

In a published study, a team of researchers discovered a mysterious airbag in the Okinawa Trough region, a giant basin located in southwestern Japan.

Using seismic waves to map the structure of the trough, the team found a giant airbag at least 4km wide and capable of containing more than 100 million tons of CO2, methane or a combination of both.

Okinawa waters.

This huge mass of undersea gas could represent an untapped natural gas source or a greenhouse gas bomb waiting to float to the surface, the researchers wrote.

"If it's all CO ₂ , I would estimate about 50 million tons. This is equivalent to CO2 emissions , " said co-author Takeshi Tsuji, of the Carbon Energy Research Institute at Kyushu University . annual of all private cars in Japan '.

To measure, Tsuji and his colleagues sailed through the center of the trough, then used special airguns to create seismic waves from various angles. By measuring how these waves change as they cross the ocean floor, the team has created a rough profile of the world hidden beneath the sea floor.

"Seismic pressure waves usually travel more slowly through gases than solid materials. Therefore, by estimating the velocity of seismic pressure waves through the ground, we can identify lakes. contain groundwater and even get information about their saturation , " said study co-author, Schwar Hendriyana, another researcher at the Energy Research Institute.

The wave velocity slows down significantly over a wide area in the middle of the trough, showing a large airbag. The team estimated that the width of the bag, but could not calculate the exact depth.

With the current data, the researchers were unable to determine whether the gas in question was CO2 or methane, which makes the findings of this finding a little suspicious.

If it's methane, it could be an important resource. However, if the mysterious undersea airbag is mostly CO ₂ , it could have an even greater impact on climate change issues if 'released'.