"Teacherjh" wrote in message
...

They've modeled the effect of a methane mega-bubble on bouyancy


Whazzat? Methane dissolved in the ocean to the extent that the water's
density
goes down enough to sink a ship?

Jose

Yes, exactly. There are big methane-hydrate deposits off the east coast,
kept stable by the pressure at great depth. There was an oil platform lost
due to a well head blowout that caused the same effect. Lots of theories
about methane-hydrates and lowered sea levels during ice ages release of
methane causes global warming, ending ice age cycle repeats every 11-
20,000 years.

Methane hydrate exists as ice
http://marine.usgs.gov/fact-sheets/g...tes/title.html
http://sepwww.stanford.edu/public/do...96/paper_html/
http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/20011212methane.html