Something deeply concerning is unfolding in Antarctica. As global temperatures continue to rise, scientists have discovered an alarming phenomenon at the bottom of the Ross Sea — one that could have serious implications for our planet’s climate.
Methane (CH₄), a potent greenhouse gas, has long been known to escape from the seafloor in the Arctic. But now, researchers have detected a similar — and growing — problem in the Southern Hemisphere. A significant methane leak has been active in the Ross Sea since around 2011, and scientists from Earth Sciences New Zealand have just found dozens more sites releasing gas near the South Pole.
❄️ Scientists have discovered dozens of new methane seeps bubbling up off Antarctica – a sign of rapid environmental change. If these continue to expand, they could add a new source of greenhouse gas to our warming planet.https://t.co/T28bb2NBEr
— Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (@AntarcticaSouth) October 15, 2025
A growing number of methane leaks
Methane is far more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat — about 80 times stronger over a 20-year span. That makes it one of the key contributors to short-term climate change. Experts fear that as warming continues and permafrost melts, new natural sources of CH₄ could emerge, creating a dangerous feedback loop that speeds up the entire process.
In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers detailed how they explored sections of the Ross Sea using acoustic mapping, divers, and remote-operated vehicles. Their work revealed previously unrecorded methane seeps — in areas that had already been extensively studied. That discovery alone suggests the leaks are recent.
“The system is evolving rapidly, changing from one year to the next,” said marine scientist Sarah Seabrook of Earth Sciences New Zealand.
Bubbles rising from a methane seep at Cape Evans, Antarctica.
Credit: Leigh Tate, Earth Sciences New Zealand pic.twitter.com/Upwluhv5Sl
— David Ullrich (@DavidUllrich202) October 12, 2025
Mysterious origins and global concerns
The team doesn’t yet know what’s causing the leaks, but they’ve noticed similarities with methane emissions seen in the Arctic. These past events were linked to the breakdown of ancient ice layers that once trapped the gas underground.
The total amount of methane escaping from Antarctica remains unknown. Still, Seabrook warns that “if these seeps behave like others we’ve studied worldwide, there’s a real risk of methane quickly transferring into the atmosphere — a source not yet included in current climate models.”
What’s happening beneath the Antarctic waters could therefore represent an unseen, accelerating force behind climate change — one that scientists are only beginning to understand.
Nathalie Mayer
Journalist
Born in Lorraine on a freezing winter night, storytelling has always inspired me, first through my grandmother’s tales and later Stephen King’s imagination. A physicist turned science communicator, I’ve collaborated with institutions like CEA, Total, Engie, and Futura. Today, I focus on unraveling Earth’s complex environmental and energy challenges, blending science with storytelling to illuminate solutions.
