{"id":26056,"date":"2022-10-07T10:20:56","date_gmt":"2022-10-07T09:20:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=26056"},"modified":"2022-10-07T10:20:56","modified_gmt":"2022-10-07T09:20:56","slug":"scientific-expedition-discovers-high-methane-levels-in-nord-stream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/scientific-expedition-discovers-high-methane-levels-in-nord-stream\/26056\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientific expedition discovers high methane levels in Nord Stream"},"content":{"rendered":"
The team spent five days at sea on the Skagerak research vessel. Despite the expedition being hastily organised, the researchers managed to detect rising levels of methane.<\/p>\n
They found that levels near the leak were about 1,000 times higher than normal; however, it is too early to draw conclusions from the discovery.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything has gone incredibly well, considering the short preparation time. In less than 48 hours, we got the researchers and equipment we wanted onboard,\u201d said Katarina Abrahamsson, marine chemist at the University of Gothenburg, and co-ordinator for the expedition.<\/p>\n
Methane levels are spreading throughout the water <\/strong><\/p>\n The methane gas leak was discovered on 26 September and since then, it has continued to leak into the water, increasing methane levels. This meant that it was essential for the researchers to get to the area quickly, so they could measure the effects of the leak. The team collected a lot of important data, taking 100-200 water samples in around 54 hours.<\/p>\n \u201cIn order to map the spread of the methane in the water, we had 20 different measurement locations at intervals of approximately nine to 18 kilometres. At our assistance, we had researchers and equipment from the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany. They have the knowledge to separate the pipeline methane from what occurs naturally,\u201d explained Abrahamsson.<\/p>\n She continued: \u201cIn the water samples, we could see that the methane levels were up to 1,000 times higher than normal. Also, the distribution pattern of the methane from the leak was complicated and difficult to explain. A reason for this could be that we couldn\u2019t measure the entire leak, because the vessel was only permitted to go in Swedish waters. We simply didn\u2019t have time to seek permission from Denmark.\u201d<\/p>\n Methane gas is dissolved in water, but when it reaches the surface, it transforms back into gas form and is emitted into the atmosphere. How long the elevated methane levels remain in the Baltic Sea depends on the currents, along with when the leakage stops.<\/p>\n