Why in the News?
Authorities and fishing communities have reported unusual churning and bubbling of seawater off the Gujarat coast in the Arabian Sea, prompting disaster management agencies to issue alerts and advise vessels to exercise extreme caution.
What is Being Observed?
- Large patches of seawater showing continuous bubbling and turbulence, resembling surface boiling
- Phenomenon captured in videos by fishermen
- Observed close to fishing grounds and sea transport routes
Possible Causes
Natural causes
- Methane or natural gas seepage from seabed
- Underwater tectonic activity
- Activity along nearby submarine ridges like the Murray Ridge or Carlsberg Ridge
- Hydrothermal or volcanic processes
Anthropogenic causes
- Leakage from undersea gas or oil pipelines
- Industrial accidents linked to offshore installations
- Disturbances caused by heavy maritime traffic
Prelims Pointers
- Bubbling seas can indicate methane hydrate release
- Arabian Sea hosts active submarine ridges, unlike the Bay of Bengal
- Such phenomena do not automatically imply tsunamis, but signal seabed processes
| [2019] 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: (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 |
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