Study of the impact of methane hydrate release on climate change

This study is focused on the estimation of possible impacts on environment, and in particular impacts on climate change, that may be generated by an eventually release of relevant amount of methane dissociated from methane hydrates, as a consequence of either anthropogenic or natural processes. Methane hydrate is a solid chemical compound in which a large amount of methane is trapped within a crystal structure of water. Significant deposits have been found under sediments on the ocean floor and in permafrost areas. Methane hydrates are stable under specific conditions of pressure and temperature, dissociation of the hydrate may be caused if those conditions are altered either because of climate change and natural events or anthropogenic activities, nowadays also during oil and gas drilling, representing a risk under study. Atmospheric concentration of methane has increased significantly since 1750 the industrial era probably because of human activities. Having knowledge about the releases of methane that occurred in the past, causing a rise in temperature and sea level leading to methane hydrates dissociation; it is possible to evaluate the potential release of methane that may occur in the present and in the future allowing us to estimate the impact of those on climate change. This study resumes three models proposed by David Archer and Bruce Buffett, built to evaluate the inventory, releases and impact of the methane from methane hydrates on environment, and applies an expression in order to calculate the possible radiative forcing for different scenarios of releases. Results of models are analyzed with the purpose to give a clear idea of the entity of potential impact of the phenomenon and the necessary assumptions and uncertainties related.