OK, if these bacteria live in the deep ocean, can they be fertilized, eg by using iron? What about the ones that live in the upper ocean, which you imply are less significant?
Are the bacteria specifically evolved for metabolising methane, or are they 'ordinary' bacteria that happen to do it as and when it takes their fancy? Can such bacteria be cultured in the lab, and would GM be of any assistance in improving the rate of methane metabolism? A 2009/1/30 Stuart Strand <sstr...@u.washington.edu>: > I won't try to guess at questions 1 and 2, and I am not too sure about the > answer to 3, but I will try to guess: > > The surface ocean has aerobic methane oxidizers, so it could be a sink for > atmospheric methane. Most oxidation of methane (to CO2) is in the deep ocean > and is due to anaerobic methane oxidation (yielding CO2 and reduced sulfur); > a process that is remote from the atmosphere. > > And I have an answer for 4. No. > > > = Stuart = > > Stuart E. Strand > 167 Wilcox Hall, Box 352700, Univ. Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 > voice 206-543-5350, fax 206-685-3836 > skype: stuartestrand > http://faculty.washington.edu/sstrand/ > > Using only muscle power, who is the fastest person in the world? > Flying start, 200 m 82.3 mph! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Whittingham > Hour http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hour_record > 55 miles, upside down, backwards, and head first! > > > -----Original Message----- > From: geoengineering@googlegroups.com > [mailto:geoengineer...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Andrew Lockley > Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 4:21 PM > To: geoengineering > Subject: [geo] understanding arctic shrinkage > > > Please can someone help clarify the following questions: > > 1) What's generally agreed to be the main reason for the IPCC > underestimating Arctic shrinkage? (albedo, methane, etc) > 2) If methane levels haven't been rising much in the atmosphere, then > where's all the methane that's coming out of the Arctic going? > 3) Does methane cycle into the sea, and do bacteria eat it there? > 4) Does anyone know of ways to encourage methane-eating bacteria - > other than feeding them more methane? > > > I have looked all this up but I can't find anything conclusive. > > A > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To post to this group, send email to geoengineering@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to geoengineering+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
