Open AccessMethane Hydrates in Quaternary Climate Change: The Clathrate Gun Hypothesis
Author(s) -
Jonathan Lifland
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2002eo000359
Subject(s) - methane , clathrate hydrate , quaternary , greenhouse gas , climate change , global warming , climatology , environmental science , greenhouse effect , hydrate , atmospheric sciences , geology , chemistry , oceanography , paleontology , organic chemistry
A new AGU title, Methane Hydrates in Quaternary Climate Change: The Clathrate Gun Hypothesis , by James P. Kennett, Kevin G. Cannariato, Ingrid L. Hendy and Richard J. Behl, presents an alternate hypothesis to explain climate behavior, including abrupt warming over the past 800,000 years. According to the Clathrate Gun Hypothesis, periodic releases of atmospheric methane from melting methane hydrate amplified a pattern of temperature fluctuations and triggered “greenhouse” warming that led to an increase in global temperatures.