This article first come along in Issue 6 of our digital magazineCURIOUS .
If you could brave out the freezing temperature of Abraham Lake in January , you ’ll be reward with one of nature ’s great curiosities as you walk above yard of frozen house of cards . The filmy spheres are beautiful , but they also pack a puncher , formed from a extremely inflammable and potent human body of nursery gas .
The house of cards of methane physical body on the bed of the lake where germ feed on decomposing constitutive matter , like bushed animals and works , releasing flatulency . Methane does n’t like to stick around trapped in water , so it form bubble that float to the surface . In summertime , they are release , contributing to Earth ’s methane emissions , but in winter they can get pin down on their room to the open .
If you ’re a smoker , it ’s worth noting that hanging around with loose flames anywhere there ’s methane is a bad idea . There are somecool videosonline that shew what can bump when these frozen bubbles eject their methane belching in the bearing of fire , so exit your lighters at home .
The bubble eventually go out without much of a bang when the temperature warms in spring and the water ice thaw . Provided no unsuspicious passersby have chosen the instant of melting to light up a cigar , the gas will seep taciturnly out of the ice and into the atmosphere . Here , they become a bite of a trouble .
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Abraham Lake is n’t alone in burping out methane during its annual thawing . There arelakesall over the globe doing it , but some of the greatest concentrations of stored methane sit in Arctic ice , which is under terror from the ongoing mood crisis .
So , if you see yourself in Canada at this frosty time of class for the commonwealth , take a perambulation across nature ’s icy lava lamp . These bubbles are a remarkable oddity of nature , and a reminder that there ’s work to be done if we ’re to have frozen bug belch to admire in the future .
The best time to see the frozen bubbles is in January and February . Strolling on ice alwayscomes with its challenges , but there areonline guidesto help you explore safely .
CURIOUSis a digital magazine from IFLScience feature interview , experts , deep dives , fun facts , news show , account book excerpts , and much more .
