Algae Bloom or Clathrates

There has been some discussion lately as to whether the high levels of methane observed over the Arctic Ocean originated from algae bloom or from clathrates (i.e methane hydrates).

The image below, from Arctic.io, does indeed indicate extensive algae bloom.

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The green color indicates extensive algae bloom, especially in areas where the sea water has been very warm recently, as discussed in earlier posts such as 'Is the North Pole now ice-free?' The image below shows sea surface temperature anomalies as at September 30, 2013.

[ click on image to enlarge ]

Indeed, no surprise to see extensive algae bloom, especially close to Svalbard, where the highest anomalies were recorded. The question is, however, where the methane came from that has showed up so prominently over the Arctic Ocean recently. The animation below shows methane readings over the past week, against a recent sea ice concentration map.