Stream Now
Shows
See All Shows
Gold Rush
Naked and Afraid
Expedition Unknown
Deadliest Catch
Moonshiners
Harpoon Hunters
Homestead Rescue
See All Shows
Schedule
Shark Week

Underground Methane Bubbles Create A Dangerous Natural Trampoline

By: Joanie Faletto

Dozens of these patches of wobbly earth are in Siberia.

August 01, 2019

It's a fantastical sight — patches of grassy, green Earth wobbling up and down like a waterbed. But there's nothing fictional about this scene. Over a dozen of these patches were discovered in Siberia in July 2016. And the reality is worrisome: these patches of bouncy grass are the result of enormous methane bubbles trapped beneath the surface. The ground in these areas is like a giant, natural, and extremely dangerous trampoline.

What's dangerous about these wobbly spots is that they could burst if enough pressure is applied. And bursting this bubble means trouble for climate change: methane is twice as potent as carbon dioxide in warming Earth's atmosphere. It's unclear how these underground gas pockets formed, but it's thought that abnormal heat caused the region's permafrost to thaw, which releases gases. Watch the land bob around like a grassy bubble in the video below.

This article first appeared on Curiosity.com.

Next Up

Soft Robots Ape Nature to Operate in the Harshest Conditions

You could be forgiven for assuming that soft robotics is simply about making robots without rough edges – a kind of warm, fuzzy android experience. If machines that hug humans are the aim, then that’s probably true, but soft robots are often designed to operate in harsh or dangerous environments where others would struggle.

Robot Army: Caring Technology Enters Mass Production to Fight Pandemic

Social robots have often been promoted as a way to give the sick and the elderly the support they lack. Now a Hong Kong robotics company wants to create an army of caring robots to provide comfort, solace, and healthcare to people isolated during the coronavirus pandemic.

Laser Cooked 3D-Printed Meals are the Future of Food

Whatever your tastes are it is highly unlikely that many of you are using 3D printers to create your favorite meals. Still, anyone interested in the future of food can find technologists printing out snacks, from steaks to cakes, at the push of a button. Now laser cooking has arrived and it is adding an entirely new layer of gourmet taste.

Getting the Benefits of Green Spaces through Virtual Nature

Forests and other natural spaces have proven benefits for our health and mental wellbeing, but getting to the great outdoors isn’t always easy.

Waste Heat Can Be Transformed Into Abundant Clean Electricity

Waste heat is a worldwide energy problem most people have probably never heard about. Every machine and power station, even renewable energy like wind and solar, creates heat that is simply lost in the atmosphere. Thankfully, scientists and engineers are devoted to capturing heat and transforming it into useful electricity.

Robots Imitate Life to Create Better Versions of Themselves

Robots have always imitated life. Social androids powered by artificial intelligence have now reached a level where they may be ready to work in shops, airports, and care homes. But an entirely new class of robots is being developed that can grow, evolve, and even reproduce.

Saving Earth from Killer Asteroids

Only about 40% of an estimated 25,000 near-Earth asteroids with the potential to destroy the planet have been detected. Scientist Dr. Ed Lu, along with his nonprofit B612 are working to create a way to detect the other 60%.

Melting Glaciers Could Flood Society with Problems

Earth’s glaciers are both a precious resource and a fragile ecosystem that is disappearing quickly due to global warming. Scientists warn that glaciers will vanish from the mainland US within decades. And their rapid melting is dangerous to society and the natural systems we rely on.

Insect Feed Can Transform the Farming Industry

Feeding insects to farm animals could be the environmental revolution that the livestock industry has been waiting for. Insects, a rich source of protein and part of the natural diet for pigs, poultry, and fish, use a fraction of the land and water needed to raise soybeans for feed and produce lower carbon emissions.

Supercomputers and Artificial Intelligence Create Future Green Industries

Supercomputers and artificial intelligence (AI) are indispensable tools for cooking up the next generation of advanced materials. Advanced computers allow scientists to rapidly design better alloys, chemical catalysts, and plastics using millions of potential candidates. Tomorrow’s high-tech materials are being road-tested this way to cut down human trial and error.