Red Sea ‘as bad for pollution as major oil nations’ - but how?
Unique geographical features cause natural greenhouse gas emissions, study finds

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
The Red Sea is causing greenhouse gas pollution as bad as that produced by major oil-producing countries, according to a new report.
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany found that the Red Sea releases 220,000 tonnes of naturally occurring hydrocarbon gases annually, The Times reports.
This is comparable to the man-made pollution produced by major oil producers such as Iraq, the UAE and Kuwait.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
How is the Red Sea such a pollutant?
The research team made the discovery in 2017, when they noticed that levels of ethane and propane in the air above the Red Sea were up to 40 times higher than predicted, says the Times.
However, they have only now discovered what is causing the high pollution levels.
Ethane and propane gases buried in reservoirs under the sea are rising up and leaking into the atmosphere, Singapore-based The Straits Times reports.
The gases come from deposits in the Gulf of Suez and Aquaba, which “mix with emissions from industrial shipping and turn into noxious pollutants that are very harmful to human health”, the paper adds.
How is the Red Sea different from others?
“The Red Sea... has some unique geological features,” says the study, led by Efstratios Bourtsoukidis.
This is because the water in the Red Sea, which ranges from 300m to 2,000m deep, is the warmest and saltiest deep water in the world.
According to iflscience.com, the saltiness means the sea has “exceptionally efficient saline transportation systems”, which also allows the gases to reach the surface.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Will it get worse?
Yes, according to the experts.
The Max Planck team believes that because of the way deep-water circulation works, the emissions in the winter are likely to be higher than the summer, when their measurements were made. An expected rise in shipping levels will also make matters worse, they say.
“In the coming decades, ship traffic through the Red Sea and Suez Canal is expected to continue to increase strongly, with a concomitant rise in nitrogen oxide emissions,” said Boursoukidis.
“Such increase will amplify the role of this source, leading to significant deterioration of the regional air quality.”
As the Times explains, nitrogen oxide emissions “interact with ethane and propane and result in the production of a polluting ‘smog’”.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
The world’s most polluted cities
feature Ongoing wildfires in Canada brought historic levels of toxic air pollution to New York
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Microbes found in Alps can digest plastics at low temperatures
Speed Read Cold-weather microorganisms could offer more sustainable and cheaper way to combat pollution
By Harriet Marsden Published
-
What’s caused the big stink over Britain’s sewage?
Today's Big Question Clean water a ‘politically charged issue’ as government sets outs plans to clean up rivers and coastal areas
By The Week Staff Published
-
What are ‘forever chemicals’ and how are they harmful?
feature The widely used pollutants have been linked to thyroid disease and cancers
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Is the freeport to blame for loss of marine life in Teesside?
feature Bitter row has broken out between the government and fishermen over mass die-off of crabs and lobsters
By The Week Staff Published
-
Atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions hit record highs last year
Speed Read Report from World Meteorological Organization is expected to ‘add urgency’ to Cop27 talks
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
How did nanoplastics end up at the North and South Pole?
In Depth Researchers identify plastic particles in Arctic ice dating back to 1960s
By The Week Staff Published
-
Is lower air pollution under lockdown saving lives?
In Depth Europe-wide study says effects are equivalent to ‘everyone stopping smoking’
By Gabriel Power Published