A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America has found a massive methane reservoir beneath the Laptev Sea, which could have a significant impact on climate change. As permafrost thaws, it creates new pathways for methane to pass through, and the pool likely contains more methane than is currently in the atmosphere. However, geoscientist Jennifer Frederick warns against inflating the findings, as it is challenging to be confident that a small area is representative of the larger area. The study area concerns one of the most difficult places on Earth to reach, but scientists hope to conduct more expeditions to map methane sources in the area.