Plant matter rots and uses up al the O2, further rotting is anaerobic and emits methane. Water - methane form into 'cage complexes' AKA Clathrates. These are fo

Plant matter rots and uses up al the O2, further rotting is anaerobic and emits methane. Water - methane form into 'cage complexes' AKA Clathrates. These are formed at various levels of underground pressure. This is all under the water table and with no O2 = lots of methane = lots of clathrates. Once formed the clathrates resemble ice and act like rock, they stay where they are. They can break down into methane and water if the temperature increases and also if the pressure drops. Drop them into water and they fizz like pop rocks. The problem is these clathrates accumulate with time. Plants rot, methane is formed and locked up in stable clathrates. Now we are releasing huge volumes of clathrates in all the melting permafrost zones. There are also ocean bottom clathrates - rotting sea weed/algae cold and under pressure. Since methane has 80 times the warming effect of CO2, it is going to become a huge problem over the next 200 years.