According to their findings, gases are leaking from waters near resorts and ports in several countries, including Egypt.
The Middle East contains more than half of the world'soil and gas reserves. The intensive exploitation of fossil fuels that occurs there results in the release of huge amounts of gaseous pollutants into the atmosphere.
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During the 2017 expedition, researchersof the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry observed that levels of ethane and propane in the air over the Red Sea were 40 times higher than predicted, even taking into account regional anthropogenic emissions.
The team analyzed possible sourcesgas emissions, including from transport, agriculture, biomass combustion and electricity generation from hydrocarbons. However, they came to an unexpected conclusion: these two gases are released from natural underground oil and gas reservoirs. They are then transported by air currents to the surface, where they are mixed with other greenhouse gases, nitrous oxide, which was emitted in large quantities by industrial ships.