The MOCA project ran from 2013-2017 and is now complete. Read more here.
About
The MOCA project investigates the release of methane from the ocean to atmosphere, and the potential effects this greenhouse gas may have on increased radiative forcing and subsequent global warming. It combines state of the art atmospheric and oceanographic measurements to investigate this poerful greenhouse gas. We also integrate this empirical data with atmospheric models, such as FLEXPART Lagrangian transport model or OsloCAM3, to achieve impact scenarios for present and future climate change. MOCA contributes to understanding present atmospheric effect of methane release from Arctic seabed sediments.
MOCA is a cooperation between UiT/CAGE, the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), and the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research – Oslo (CICERO).
Main questions
- Does methane release from the seabed into the ocean reach the atmosphere?
- What are the climatic implications of seabed methane seepage?
Major aims
- Measure and estimate natural methane emissions from the Arctic Ocean floor to the atmosphere
- Describe the climatic impact and radiative forcing (direct and indirect effects) from seabed methane emissions under present-day as well as future atmospheric compositions