Researchers have discovered that melting glaciers in western Greenland are releasing ancient methane produced by microbes thousands of years ago. This gas was trapped under the ice from a previous warm period, and its current release creates a feedback loop that could accelerate further warming and ice loss. The study suggests that current climate models may underestimate the speed of glacial retreat and sea level rise. Similar, larger reservoirs of methane may exist beneath the Antarctic ice sheet, posing a significant long term risk to global climate stability.
