The large craters on the sea floor occurred at the end of the last ice age.
Norwegian psychologists have determined the origin of giant craters on the bottom of the Barents sea. A study published in the journal Science, briefly about it reports the Center for the study of Arctic gas hydrate, climate and environment (Norway).
The large craters at the bottom of the Barents sea probably emerged at the end of the last ice age as a result of decomposition of gas hydrates. Decomposition data of crystalline compounds, in which trapped natural gas, has led to an explosive release of methane formed are witnessing today bottom reliefs.
To such conclusions the authors came analyzing about one hundred craters on the bottom of the Barents sea with a diameter of 300-1000 meters.
Using modeling, the researchers assessed the period when the collapse of gas hydrates (about 15-17 thousand years ago), which is due to the reduction of water pressure ended (about 11 thousand years ago) explosion of the bottom bubbles of methane.
This study is important to assess the transport of methane to the hydrosphere and the atmosphere of the planet, because natural compound is a potent greenhouse gas. Similar to gas hydrates, but smaller sizes are common in Siberia.
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