Pink “ice worms” are visible beneath the overhang in the center left part of this photo. Ice worms were also seen in some of the burrows in the surrounding gas hydrate, which appears orange due to impurities. Active methane emissions occur from beneath the ledge, through conduits at the base of the inverted droplets attached to the sediment and through a bubble tube at the right of the image. Both the bubble tubes and the inverted droplets are encased in clear gas hydrate.
Ice Worms
Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Gulf of Mexico 2017.
Pink “ice worms” are visible beneath the overhang in the center left part of this photo. Ice worms were also seen in some of the burrows in the surrounding gas hydrate, which appears orange due to impurities. Active methane emissions occur from beneath the ledge, through conduits at the base of the inverted droplets attached to the sediment and through a bubble tube at the right of the image. Both the bubble tubes and the inverted droplets are encased in clear gas hydrate. Download larger version (jpg, 984 KB).
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