Researchers discover large pool of greenhouse gases under the US that could cause environmental disasters on the scale of nuclear warfare

Geologists of the Royal Holloway University in London has made a startling discovery, using world's largest array of seismic sensors they found a huge well of molten carbon under the US. By using these sensors they mapped a deep earth area covering 700,000 sq miles (1.8 million sq km). This is roughly the size of Mexico and it has potential to cause unimaginable damage to the environment when released. This discovery also changes our previous estimates of carbon present in the earth.

Research methodology

-It is not possible physically to see the earth mantle so the team of researchers has used a large array of sensors to assess the area.

-The team used a total of 283 Seismic sensors that measure the vibrations of the earth and give us a picture of area's deep subsurface.

-They then used mathematical equations to interpret the results

-The section of the interior of the earth is known as upper mantle where the temperatures are enormous and it is here the molten carbon melts nad creates different seismic patterns

-The molten carbon produces carbon dioxide and other gasses and if it is released into the atmosphere it would cause an environmental disaster on the scale of nuclear warfare.

-The team has found that the molten carbon is situated under the Western US, 217 miles (350km) beneath the Earth's surface.

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However, the good news is the stored carbon won't be released unless volcano at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Montana erupts. The previous eruption of the volcano took place 640,000 years ago. This research also gave insights about the estimate of the amount of carbon dioxide present in the upper mantle. Scientist now believes that mantle may contain 100 trillion metric tons of carbon much higher than previously imagined.

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For example, the release of one percent of CO2 stored in the mantle into the atmosphere equals to burning 2.3 trillion barrels of oil. Scientists are also not ruling the possibility of the volcano eruption in the future but say that there is very less chance to happen.

The Research study is published in the journal Earth and planetary science letters

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