Which of the following statements are correct about the deposits of ‘methane hydrate’?
1. Global warming might trigger the release of methane gas from these deposits.
2. Large deposits of ‘methane hydrate’ are found in Arctic Tundra and under the seafloor.
3. Methane in atmosphere oxidizes to carbon dioxide after a decade or two.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: Methane hydrates (clathrates) are stable only under low temperatures and high hydrostatic pressures. Rising ocean and permafrost temperatures driven by global warming can destabilize these crystalline structures, triggering the massive release of trapped methane gas.
Statement 2 is correct: Enormous naturally occurring deposits of methane hydrates are located beneath the permafrost in the Arctic tundra and within the shallow sediments along the continental margins beneath the ocean seafloor.
Statement 3 is correct: Free methane emitted into the atmosphere is relatively short-lived; it has an atmospheric lifetime of roughly 10 to 12 years, after which it naturally oxidizes into water vapor and carbon dioxide through photochemical reactions with hydroxyl radicals (OH).
Hence, all three statements are correct — Option D.