Overview
- A peer‑reviewed study published December 17 in Nature Communications details the Freya Hydrate Mounds, discovered by a multinational team led by UiT during the Ocean Census Arctic Deep–EXTREME24 expedition.
- Located on the Molloy Ridge in the Greenland Sea, the site sets a new depth record for hydrate cold seeps at 3,640 meters, extending the known limit by roughly 1,800 meters.
- Scientists documented methane gas flares rising more than 3,300 meters through the water column along with active methane and crude oil emissions.
- ROV surveys found resilient chemosynthetic communities, including tubeworms, snails, and amphipods, with notable overlap with fauna known from Arctic hydrothermal vents.
- Geochemical analyses indicate thermogenic gas and oil sourced from Miocene sediments, and the team reports dynamic mound growth and collapse while calling for evidence‑based protection as Arctic resource interest increases.