Ice age underwater volcano spewing methane discovered in the Barents Sea near Norway

Scientists have discovered an ancient, methane-spewing volcano at the bottom of the Barents Sea. The volcano named 'Borealis Mud Volcano' lies approximately 70 nautical miles south of Bear Island at 400m depth. The volcano is the second-ever mud volcano found within Norwegian waters.

Scientists from UiT, The Arctic University of Norway, in partnership with REV Ocean, discovered this unusual geological phenomenon onboard the research vessel Kronprins Haakon with the piloted submersible vehicle ROV Aurora in the Southwestern Barents Sea at the outer part of Bjørnøyrenna (Outer Bear Island Trough).

"Seeing an underwater mud eruption in real time reminded me how “alive” our planet is," informed Professor Giuliana Panieri, expedition leader and Principal Investigator of the AKMA project, according to the UiT website.

Led by Stefan Buenz, the Advancing Knowledge of Methane in the Arctic (AKMA) expedition unearthed this remarkable submarine geological formation.

The Borealis Mud Volcano stands tall at a height of eight feet. The newly discovered volcano rests inside a crater that is approximately 300m wide and 25m deep and is most likely the result of a catastrophic, natural blowout that abruptly released massive methane just after the last glaciation period, 18,000 years ago.

While the Borealis Mud Volcano is a remarkable find, it represents only a fraction of the vast number of submarine mud volcanoes that populate the seabed globally. Scientists estimate their presence in the thousands, although locating and mapping them presents a significant challenge.

Studying these underwater mud volcanoes offers invaluable opportunities to gain insights into past environments and conditions on Earth.