Methane Alert: Scientists Find Leak in Algerian Desert; Fjord Emissions in Heavy Storms

For over 40 years, a facility on Algeria's largest gas field, a crucial source of energy for the EU, has been leaking a strong greenhouse gas into the environment.

According to a new satellite study shared exclusively with Unearthed and published alongside Bloomberg, the compression plant, which helps pump gas from the Hassi R'Mel field to Europe, has been spewing methane on a regular basis since at least 1984.

Satellite data from November 5 of that year indicated methane seeping from the location, presumably from a flare pit.

Decade-old methane leak in Algeria

(Photo : OLIVIER MORIN/AFP via Getty Images)

In light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the EU is planning to increase gas imports from Algeria, which is already a major source of energy for the union, as per Unearthed.

In the midst of the gas rush, the EU is aiming to tighten regulations on methane leaks both within the bloc and from major exporters.

Between 2017 and March 2022, 188 days where excellent quality satellite photos were available at the plant saw methane surges, with the most strong plumes identified between 2017 and 2020.

The plant is located roughly 14 kilometers south of the major gas hub at Hassi R'Mel.

Algeria is considered a methane hotspot, yet the nation has refused to participate in measures to reduce pollution.

Last year, at the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, the country declined to join 105 other countries in accepting a promise to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030.

A team of experts from the Netherlands discovered significant methane leakage at two sites on Algeria's largest oil field.

Scientists from SRON, a satellite research center, discovered 80 plumes from two gas compressor units on the Hassi Messaoud oilfield in 2021.

The majority of the gas generated at Hassi Messaoud is reinjected to boost oil output, although some appear to escape.

Fjord Methane Emissions

During the years 2009 to 2021, researchers from the University of Gothenburg researched By Fjord near Uddevalla and performed field tests to assess methane generation in the fjord, as per ScienceDaily. 

By Fjord suffers from hypoxia and eutrophication.

The Bäve River runs into the fjord, carrying significant quantities of fertilizers from the region's farmland.

It was obvious that methane emissions to the atmosphere increased during mixing episodes in the fjord.

During these episodes, anoxic water from the bottom is swiftly brought to the top, carrying methane with it, which can then be released into the atmosphere.

Also Read: Fjords Act as Major Carbon Sinks, Study Says

What are fjords?

A fjord is a long, narrow, deep body of water that extends far inland. Fjords are frequently found in U-shaped valleys with sheer granite cliffs on either side, as per the National Geographic.

Fjords are mostly located in Norway, Chile, New Zealand, Canada, Greenland, and the state of Alaska in the United States. Sognefjorden, a fjord in Norway, stretches for more than 160 kilometers.

Glaciers carved out fjords. During the previous ice age, glaciers covered almost everything on Earth.

Glaciers travel slowly over time and may significantly affect the terrain after they pass through a region. This is known as glaciation.

What can be found in fjords?

Norway's fjords include some of the world's biggest coral reefs. They are home to various fish, plankton, and sea anemones.

New Zealand has several coral reefs as well. Scientists understand far less about these deep, cold-water reefs than they do about tropical coral reefs.

They have discovered, however, that the living creatures on cold-water reefs prefer complete darkness.

Cold-water reef organisms have also evolved to survive under high pressure.

Water pressure at the bottom of a fjord can reach hundreds or even thousands of pounds per square meter. In this frigid, gloomy environment, few species can live.

Related article: Scientists Bring Oxygen Back to Suffocating Waters