New kind of volcano discovered in the Gulf of Mexico
Underwater volcanoes that spew asphalt instead of lava: they were discovered in the Gulf of Mexico during an expedition of the research vessel Sonne, led by Prof. Gerhard Bohrmann of the DFG Research Center Ocean Margins. On these volcanoes the multinational team of scientists encountered a previously unknown highly diverse ecosystem at a water depth of 3,000 meters. The prominent scientific journal Science reports the spectacular discovery in its issue of 14 May 2004.
Asphalt, commonly known to us as the material that covers our streets, has been found flowing out of mounds that rise 450 to 800 meters above the desert-like floor of the Gulf of Mexico. Researchers discovered the asphalt volcanoes during a cruise of the research vessel Sonne. First observed in video footage, the structures were confirmed by bottom samples taken during the expedition. "We were actually only searching for the presence of methane at the seafloor, instead we found a new kind of volcano associated with a complex ecosystem," relates Prof. Gerhard Bohrmann enthusiastically.
The researchers surmise that such asphalt volcanoes only occur in the Gulf of Mexico, but that they are abundant there, because the conditions required for their formation - deep water, salt diapirs below the seafloor, and the presence of oil deposits - are found only here.
Comment: It's interesting that just before the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded, a methane gas leak forced hundreds to evacuate from their homes in Louisiana: This report from our database shows that scientists were warning of the dangers presented by methane in the Gulf of Mexico at least 5 years ago: They can forget about trying to harness this gas this as it is highly volatile and is responsible for numerous mining accidents all over the world: And in just the last month: It's also thought to be responsible for mysterious explosions and leaves a distinct smell over a wide area as it comes to the surface and expand: If there is a significant "greenhouse gas", methane is it. Methane is strongly correlated with climate change events in the past: The fact if the matter is that "big events" are not limited to millions and millions of years ago. Catastrophic climate change from cometary bombardment on a global scale took place as recently as 13,000 years ago. Regional catastrophism took place as recently as 1500 years ago. These scientists are not asking the right questions.
What if the release of methane from below the oceans is part of the mechanism to propel climate change but is not the causal factor of this mechanism? Could there be an external catalyst that periodically opens up the planet's surface to release methane? What if the quantity of methane released depends on the degree to which cometary bombardment is taking place? We are overdue the Big One and the Deepwater Horizon explosion is another sign that the planet is opening up and all humanity can do is help it along towards a mass extinction event.