When technology finally makes it cheap enough to do so, methane present under sediment in the Western Atlantic will provide an enormous source of energy. A new estimate of methane under the Blake Ridge shows just how much.
Researchers at the University of Michigan and other institutions published the most accurate estimates to date in the January 30, 1997 issue of Nature. Using new pressure core sampler technology the researchers estimated 35 billion tons of carbon lies under the ridge, with 15 billion tons inside solid hydrates and 20 billion tons in gaseous form just under the solid hydrate layer.
The confirmation of such large deposits will likely spur additional research into solving the various technical problems associated with extracting and transporting methane from underneath the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.