We get it, during the dead of winter we don’t have any inspiration to leave our warm, cozy homes either. But for deadly frozen bubbles that are trapped underwater? We would consider it. Do we have your attention now? Then let’s go!
Abraham Lake is beautiful no matter what season you pay her a visit, and people have come from all around the world to snap photos of gorgeous Albertan waters, but during the winter the lake looks like a massive lava lamp. But how do these frozen underwater bubbles even come to be? Bacteria begins to feed on decaying plants and animals that are just kind of lining the bottom of the lake, this process releases methane gas in the form of bubbles. And not just one or two bubbles, but thousands of bubbles. As the bubbles begin to float to the top of the lake, they get trapped in the frozen waters creating what we describe as a huge lava lamp.
(image via: the evolista)
Now, no matter what time of year you visit Albertan waters, you’ll notice that the lakes are bright blue. This is because the lakes are filled with fine-grained glacial slit that has been deposited from surrounding glaciers. Mineral content is what gives the lakes a gorgeous, bright turquoise hue.
As pretty as the lakes are and as awesome as the bubbles may look during the winter, remember how we said these are methane bubbles? Methane is a colorless, odorless flammable gas, and as you’ve either guessed or already know, it’s not super great for the environment. These bubbles don’t stay frozen all year-round, though it would probably be better if they did, because once the waters begin to thaw and these bubbles begin to burst methane is released. This greenhouse gas is 30x more potent than carbon dioxide, and once in the air, methane captures and holds heat. And yes, this is absolutely contributing to global warming.
These deadly methane bubbles aren’t unique to Canada; in fact, Scientists have discovered similar issues from thawing bogs in Siberia, and as our climate continues to warm, we could see more and more of these once-frozen lakes releasing this natural gas. And if you’re wondering what we could all be doing to help this situation, unfortunately, science doesn’t have an answer just yet.
(image via: fototripper)
If you want to view these methane bubbles, but can’t get to Lake Abraham, here are other bodies of water you can see them in:
- Barrier Lake
- Banff’s National Park’s Lake Minnewanka
- Spray Lakes
- Calgary’s Elbow River
- Lake Bonnavista