Ice-Age Methane Blowout Unearths Arctic 300-Meter Mud Volcano Crater
A UiT-led expedition in the Barents Sea found Borealis Mud Volcano, a 300-meter-wide crater about 25 meters deep formed after late Ice Age methane blowouts. The site, ~400 meters below sea level and ~70 miles south of Bear Island, hosts an active mud-methane vent and a rich chemosynthetic ecosystem, offering insights into methane cycling, ancient geologic processes, and biodiversity, underscoring the need for protection.