The mounds, made of hydrates, are covered by sediments and frenulate tubeworms forming a ‘Sclerolinum forest’  (Image: nature communications)
Science
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Moneycontrol26-12-2025, 16:20

Deep Arctic Secret: Methane Mounds & Thriving Life Found 3.6km Down in Greenland Sea

  • Scientists discovered methane mounds 3.6 km deep in the Greenland Sea, a secret world beneath the Arctic Ocean.
  • These icy structures, among the deepest gas hydrates ever recorded, trap methane under extreme pressure due to tectonic activity.
  • Remarkably, thriving wildlife like tube worms, crustaceans, and microbial mats survive here through chemosynthesis, without sunlight.
  • The discovery reshapes understanding of Arctic ecosystems, climate change impacts, and life's adaptability to extreme environments.
  • Future plans include mapping more mounds, studying methane release rates, and informing astrobiology research.

Why It Matters: Deep-sea methane mounds in the Arctic reveal extreme life and critical insights into climate change.

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