InfraVis contributing to Research Paper

We are proud and happy to announce that InfraVis has contributed to a research paper published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment (Coastal methane emissions triggered by ship passages).

The article reveals that ships may be a hidden driver of methane emissions in estuaries and coastal waters. InfraVis user Ida-Maja Hassellöv (Chalmers) and her team found that ship movement in Neva Bay can trigger methane releases 10–1000 times higher than typical global coastal levels — making them comparable to known methane “hotspots.” Pressure changes from ships (30–60 mbar) appear to stimulate methane release from sediments, much like tidal forces do.

Crucially, these ship-induced emissions add about 22% more CO₂ equivalents beyond combustion exhaust alone.

The study highlights an overlooked climate impact of maritime traffic and urges that shipping lanes be included in global methane emission inventories.