At left, and across the bottom of the scene, gray - white
CH4 ice deposits modify tectonic ridges, the rims of craters, and north - facing slopes.
What is concerning is the possibility that rapid global warming could occur faster than many people believe is possible, if global warming due to atmospheric carbon dioxide causes the Earth's atmosphere to warm enough to release enormous
deposits of frozen methane (
CH4) that are stored in the permafrost above the Arctic Circle and in frozen methane
ice, known as methane hydrate, underneath the floors of the oceans throughout the world (see: How Methane Gas Releases Due To Global Warming Could Cause Human Extinction).