Undersea Release of Methane Is Under Way Article Critique - Essay Example

 Study Says Undersea Release of Methane Is Under Way The article “Study Says Undersea Release of Methane Is Under Way” has been written by Cornelia Dean. It was published in the science section of The New York Times on 4 March 2010. The article is directed for climate experts who are analyzing the changes in the current global climatic patterns. It may also be of assistance for scientists who are planning to conduct researches on climatic changes that are affecting the planet. The article portrays an important point with regard to the climatic change which may be seen owing to the release of methane gas into the atmosphere from the permafrost which lies in a frozen state under the sea in the arctic. The article puts forward a subject of concern that the global climatic change may be worsened owing to the melting of the permafrost from under the sea and the subsequent liberation of methane gas may result into the atmosphere. This is a matter of concern as methane is a greenhouse gas which has a twenty five time greater potential for the absorption of heat in comparison to carbon dioxide. The article explains this release of methane gas with the assistance of a research which was being conducted by the University of Alaska and was headed by Natalia Shakhova. The research was being undertaken in the East Siberian Arctic Shelf and it showed that methane that was lying above the Arctic was 1.87 parts per million whereas in other parts of the world it was 1.7 parts per million. Dr. Natalia Shakhova clearly suggested that these findings were not very conclusive and other studies were necessary before providing for a definitive conclusion. Similar studies were also conducted in Britain and Germany where scientists had not expected to observe the release of methane gas. They were surprised at the findings of the presence of methane gas over the West Spitsbergen area in the Arctic. Dr. Martin Heimann who was affiliated with the Max Planck Institute in Germany explained the situation by presenting the fact that the production of methane gas had increased more than twice following the period of industrialization but he explained that approximately 40 percent of the methane came from natural decomposition pathways. He also explained that the release of methane from under the sea bed was not in great amounts but this situation could take a different turn. Cornelia Dean has used an important subject of science for this article. Global warming is an issue of concern for the entire world and Dean has explained the new atmospheric changes that can worsen the situation and promote further warming of the environment. The article has been supported by the research work which has been carried out by different countries including Britain, Germany and the United States. This highlights the fact that the subject is essential for all the countries across the globe and scientists are working towards checking for the climatic changes of the world. The article portrays a new research which must be new to a large group of readers. Many people would be unaware with regard to the fact that undersea release of methane could be an ongoing process. The author has written the article in a very understandable way and the writer has provided evidence from different studies. Thus, the article is readable by the common man and it will be of further assistance to the people possessing scientific knowledge. It also serves to explain the subject in a complete manner by providing a proper history of the release of methane gas into the atmosphere followed by the negative effects of increased amounts of the gas in the atmosphere. The article explains the entire global climatic situation which results from the release of methane gas into the atmosphere. It highlights the fact that the increase in methane gas in the atmosphere occurred following the era of industrialization and it continued to increase owing to the activities of man which include agricultural activities as well as the gas released from energy sources. It then explains that even decomposition of natural substances adds to the methane gas in the atmosphere. It carries the subject further by explaining the fact that increased amount of methane gas is more harmful than carbon dioxide owing to its capacity to trap greater amount of heat and thus resulting in further warming of the environment. The author has given reference to the research conducted by the University of Alaska as well by the study in Britain and Germany. He has summarized the explanation provided by the experts, Dr. Natalia Shakhova and Dr. Martin Heimann who were not only actively involved in the research but had other significant information to share on the matter. The author has also explained the scientific process by clarifying the fact that undersea permafrost has started to degrade owing to the increased temperature of the water. This would result in giving off methane gas which would enter the atmosphere. This quantifies to be the strength of the article as it is strongly referenced and supported by scholarly work and explains the scientific process as well. The weakness of the article lies in the fact that there is no definitive conclusion provided on the subject and the writer has left many questions unanswered which include the fact that whether this release of methane gas would increase in significant amounts in the future or not. It has also not provided for an explanation of the fact that whether this release of methane would actually harm the environment or not since this release has been a part of the society since a very long time dating to the time of industrialization. Cornelia Dean has written an article on a subject that requires more attention and work. The article relates to the process of global warming and highlights a new aspect that release of methane gas from under the sea may result in worsening of the issue. The issue needs to be looked into and appropriate solutions should be found to tackle the matter and control the problem. References Dean, Cornelia. (2010, March 4). “Study Says Undersea Release of Methane Is Under Way.” The New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/05/science/earth/05methane.html?scp=1&sq=study+shows+undersea+release&st=nyt Read More