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According to Reviews of Geophysics this work received some of the highest count of citations amongst articles published between January 2017 and December 2018.

Gas hydrate, a frozen, naturally‐occurring, and highly‐concentrated form of methane, sequesters significant carbon in the global system and is stable only over a range of low‐temperature and moderate‐pressure conditions. Gas hydrate is widespread in the sediments of marine continental margins and permafrost areas, locations where ocean and atmospheric warming may perturb the hydrate stability field and lead to release of the sequestered methane into the overlying sediments and soils. Methane and methane‐derived carbon that escape from sediments and soils and reach the atmosphere could exacerbate greenhouse warming.

Photograph of Methane-derived authigenic carbonate (MDAC) rocks on the seafloor on the U.S. Atlantic margin
Methane-derived authigenic carbonate (MDAC) rocks on the seafloor on the U.S. Atlantic margin
Image: Methane Seeps along Offshore Virginia
Numerous distinct methane streams emanating from the seafloor

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