The Methane Hydrate Triangle ?

Posted by Big Gav

Here's some speculation that methane hydrates may be behind mysterious disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle (via Boing Boing).

One theory now suggests that when the covering of "methane ice" which exists over much of the seabed of the Bermuda Triangle becomes unstable; this causes instability of the sea and an explosive mixture of air and methane above. Any ships or planes travelling over the area could sink or catch fire.

"So ancient, deep-sediment bacteria may be a key to sustainable energy in the future and to explaining a few disasters," said Professor (R. John) Parkes.

Technorati tags: peak oil

3 comments

@whut says 12:04 PM

Interesting, but you would think one person would have a narrow escape, and then report on it. Was that mentioned anywhere?

Big Gav says 4:37 PM

No - the article focuses on European research into methane hydrates and the Wikipedia article on the Bermuda Triangle tends to support the skeptic's belief that vessels are no more likely to be lost there than anywhere else on the ocean.

The interesting thing which I should have mentioned is that the European project believes that bacteria cause the creation of the methane hydrates, while the Wikipedia article on them says that they are form by gas escaping from geological formations. Which leaves me curious - does anyone really know exactly how these things are formed ?

Big Gav says 4:46 PM

Ignore that last bit - I didn't notice the part about microbial formation of the gas in the geological formations...