http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/shock-as-retreat-of-arctic-sea-ice-releases-deadly-greenhouse-gas-6276134.html Shock as retreat of Arctic sea ice releases deadly greenhouse gas Russian research team astonished after finding 'fountains' of methane bubbling to surface An excerpt: "In a very small area, less than 10,000 square miles, we have counted more than 100 fountains, or torch-like structures, [of methane] bubbling through the water column and injected directly into the atmosphere from the seabed," Dr Semiletov said. "We carried out checks at about 115 stationary points and discovered methane fields of a fantastic scale – I think on a scale not seen before. Some plumes were a kilometre or more wide and the emissions went directly into the atmosphere – the concentration was a hundred times higher than normal."