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Published online 12 December 2006 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news061211-6
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Shallow fuels bring bad news
Buried deposits of greenhouse gases may be more unstable than thought.
Geologists have discovered underwater deposits of hydrates — icy deposits of frozen methane gas — at far shallower depths under the ocean floor than expected. The finding suggests that, in a globally warmed world, the hydrates could melt suddenly and release their gas into the atmosphere, thus warming the planet even more.
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