TITLE:
Development of Ice Cover in Water Areas during Methane
AUTHORS:
Petr Vladimirovich Lushvin, Marina Olegovna Buyanova
KEYWORDS:
Monolithic Ice, Methane, Porous Ice, Earthquakes, Methanotrophic Microorganisms
JOURNAL NAME:
International Journal of Geosciences,
Vol.12 No.9,
September
30,
2021
ABSTRACT: In traditional hydrometeorology and ice physics, when analyzing the
development of ice, only degree-days of frost are taken into account. Despite
the presence of pores in the ice formed during inhomogeneous crystallization
and dynamic loads, ice is universally considered monolithic. Situations where
ice cannot withstand design loads in frosty conditions are academically
inexplicable, although it is common knowledge, for example, porous ice in
reeds. Proof of methane accumulations under the ice-fountains
of fire over holes in swampy waters.
“Culprit” is methane. Methanotrophic microorganisms, structurally and
functionally specialize in using it as a source of carbon and energy, and turn
monolithic ice into porous, practically without changing its thickness. When rushing, dark products of
methanotrophy and detritus raised by gas bubbles appear on the surface
of the ice. The albedo of the ice surface decreases, contributing to its
melting and the formation of dilutions. The early melting of ice in dilutions
and their transformation into vast wormwood is due to methanotrophy products
and seismogenic small detritus, which gravitationally slowly settling out of
the cold photic layer, thinning it, contributes to an additional insolation
warm-up of 2°C ÷ 3°C, freeing the waters from ice months earlier than normal.