Deepest gas hydrate cold seep ever discovered in the arctic: International research team unveils Freya Hydrate Mounds at 3,640 m depth.

A multinational scientific team led by UiT has uncovered the deepest known gas hydrate cold seep on during the Ocean Census Arctic Deep – EXTREME24 expedition and reveals a previously unknown ecosystem in the Greenland Sea.

UiT The Arctic University of Norway

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image: 

ROV image of a partially collapsed gas hydrate mound in the Molloy Deep (Freya mounds), where exposed gas hydrates are visible beneath sediment cover. The mound hosts dense fields of frenulate worms (Sclerolinum spp.), with associated crustaceans and small carbonate crusts. Fractures in the mound reflect the destabilizing effect of hydrate buoyancy, which can lead to structural collapse.

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Credit: UiT / Ocean Census / REV Ocean

 

A multinational scientific team led by UiT has uncovered the deepest known gas hydrate cold seep on the planet.  The discovery was made during the Ocean Census Arctic Deep – EXTREME24 expedition and reveals a previously unknown ecosystem thriving at 3,640 metres on the Molloy Ridge in the Greenland Sea. The groundbreaking findings regarding the Freya Hydrate Mounds, which hold scientific significance and implications for Arctic governance and sustainable development, have recently been published in Nature Communications.  

The recently documented Freya Hydrate Mounds hosts active methane seepage, crude oil emissions, and resilient chemosynthetic communities. These findings significantly expand the known depth limit for gas hydrate outcrops by nearly 1,800 meters and highlight unexpected biological connections between deep-sea seeps and hydrothermal vents in the Arctic region. 

“This discovery rewrites the playbook for Arctic deep-sea ecosystems and carbon cycling,” said Giuliana Panieri, Professor at UiT and now Director of CNR-ISP, and Chief Scientist of the expedition, together with Alex Rogers.  “We found an ultra-deep system that is both geologically dynamic and biologically rich, with implications for biodiversity, climate processes, and future stewardship of the High North.” 

"There are likely to be more very deep gas hydrate cold seeps like the Freya mounds awaiting discovery in the region, and the marine life that thrives around them may be critical in contributing to the biodiversity of the deep Arctic" said Jon Copley of the University of Southampton, UK, who led the biogeographic analysis of the new discovery. "The links that we have found between life at this seep and hydrothermal vents in the Arctic indicate that these island-like habitats on the ocean floor will need to be protected from any future impacts of deep-sea mining in the region."   

Key Finding on Freya Hydrate Mounds  

The discovery regarding the deepest hydrate deposits has revealed important insights into the Arctic's geological and ecological dynamics. These deposits, at a staggering depth of 3,640 meters, greatly surpass the typical occurrences found at depths of less than 2,000 meters. Such findings challenge our previous understanding of hydrate formation, offering an opportunity to further explore these environments. 

Additionally, the observation of methane gas flares rising more than 3,300 meters through the water column is particularly significant. These flares are among the tallest ever recorded globally, underscoring the unique geological processes occurring in this region; moreover, thermogenic gas and crude oil sourced from Miocene-aged sediments indicate a complex history of deep geological fluid migrations that reflect the intricate interactions between geological formations over time. 

The ecological aspect of these findings is equally fascinating. The presence of chemosynthetic communities, dominated by specialised organisms such as siboglinid and maldanid tubeworms, snails, and amphipods, highlights the unique adaptations of life forms in this extreme environment. Furthermore, the substantial overlap of these faunal communities with those near hydrothermal vents suggests a previously unrecognised level of ecological connectivity across deep-sea habitats in the Arctic. Moreover, the hydrate mounds observed in various stages of growth and dissociation reveal that this ecosystem is not static but rather active and evolving.  

A New Perspective on Deep Carbon Cycling 

Understanding the new findings about the role of hydrate systems within broader environmental contexts could also have implications for climate change discussions, particularly concerning methane release and its effects on global warming. 

In this regard, the Freya mounds represent an ultra-deep natural laboratory for studying methane behaviour in the water column and the potential impacts of warmer waters in the Fram Strait. The hydrate structures appear to form, destabilise, and collapse over time— a dynamic sequence documented on the seafloor using advanced ROV imaging technology. 

“These are not static deposits,” Panieri added. “They are living geological features, responding to tectonics, deep heat flow, and environmental change.” 

Implications for Arctic governance and sustainable development 

In conclusion, these findings collectively offer a detailed narrative about the dynamic interplay between geology and biology in the Arctic deep-sea environment. They call for intensified research efforts to explore and understand the complexities of these habitats, their evolutionary significance, and their response to both natural and anthropogenic changes. 

However, the most significant aspect is that the discovery occurs at a time of increased international attention on the Arctic Ocean. These ultra-deep ecosystems are located in areas that are increasingly being considered for resource exploration, underscoring the importance of evidence-based environmental assessments. 

“Understanding these unique habitats is essential for safeguarding biodiversity and supporting responsible decision-making in polar regions,” Panieri noted. 

About the Expedition 

The Ocean Census Arctic Deep – EXTREME24 expedition (https://oceancensus.org/expeditions/arctic-deep/) is led by the Arctic University of Norway and brought together leading experts in geology, biology, and geochemistry. It is part of the EXTREME Project (https://uit.no/project/extremes), which leads interdisciplinary research on extreme environments in the Arctic and beyond. High-resolution imagery and ROV samples support the scientific analyses in the upcoming publication on the Freya hydrate mounds. 

The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census is the largest global programme to discover ocean life. During the Arctic expedition and workshop at UiT in 2024, it sampled and analysed the specialised ecosystems adapted to life in the Arctic Deep Sea. 

ROV Aurora, operated by REV Ocean, conducted the deep dives that produced the high-resolution imagery and sampling central to these findings, offering rare access to one of the deepest cold seep systems known. 

a In situ hydratemound fauna, including Sclerolinum forest. b Tube-dwelling maldanid polychaete. C Melitid amphipod. d Ampharetid polychaete. e Stauromedusa Lucernaria cf. bathyphila. f Rissoid and skeneid gastropods on a maldanid polychaete tube. g Thyasirid bivalve. 

Credit

UiT / Ocean Census / REV Ocean

Freya gas hydrate mounds with different morphologies.Credit

UiT / Ocean Census / REV Ocean

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Journal

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-025-67165-x 

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Publication Date

22-Dec-2025

Smile and the world will trust you: How mimicry shapes first impressions

SWPS University

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How does mimicry affect the way we judge other people? Whose behaviour do we imitate, and in what situations? It turns out that we are more likely to mimic people who express joy, and we perceive those people as more attractive and more trustworthy. Scientists, including researchers from SWPS University, published a paper on this topic in the journal Emotion.

People tend to make judgments about personalities of others based on their appearance. For example, a square jaw, high forehead, or heavy eyebrows cross-culturally connote social dominance. Another important cue based on which we attribute specific character traits to others is facial expression. Facial expressions play a significant role in non-verbal communication and are a source of a lot of information about another person. Just by briefly observing another person's face, we draw conclusions about their feelings and intentions. Moreover, we tend to imitate the person we interact with, a phenomenon called emotional mimicry. This mimicry plays an important role in building social relationships because it helps to better understand others.

The role of emotional mimicry in making judgments about others

The researchers decided to investigate the role of emotional mimicry in attributing specific character traits to others. They took several factors into account: the emotional meaning of the facial expression, the context in which the evaluation takes place, and the character traits being evaluated.

The new study was conducted by Michał Olszanowski, PhD, a professor at SWPS University, Aleksandra Tołopiło, PhD, from the Center for Research on Biological Basis of Social Behavior, SWPS University Faculty of Psychology in Warsaw, and Professor Ursula Hess from the Humboldt University in Berlin.

We hypothesized that participants would evaluate smiling people better and trust them more than people expressing anger or sadness. Additionally, we predicted that participants would be more willing to mimic expressions of happiness than sadness, while anger would be least likely emotion to be imitated. Importantly, it is the intensity of mimicry that will predict how much participants will trust the people they mimic. In other words, the more someone mimics another person's smile, the more they will trust that person, says psychologist Michał Olszanowski, PhD, a professor at SWPS University.

Traits displayed on the face

To explore the interplay between social context and emotional mimicry on trait judgments, the researchers asked participants to assess the different social characteristics of faces expressing happiness, sadness, and anger. Three experiments were conducted. In two experiments, the researchers measured facial muscle activity using electromyography (EMG).

In Experiment 1, 62 participants (including 43 women) rated trustworthiness, confidence, and attractiveness of people whose faces (with various expressions) were shown to them in few seconds long video clips. EMG confirmed that participants were more willing to mimic joy than sadness and anger, and this more often concerned people who were socially similar to them. Before the experiment, the participants completed a questionnaire with statements designed to give them the impression of social connections with some of the people they would be watching.

The second experiment examined the cause-and-effect relationship between the facial expressions of 46 participants (32 women) and the assessment of the character traits of the people they were presented with. The participants were asked to watch recordings of various people's faces and rate their credibility. They were also asked to mimic the presented reactions, but some of the images did not match the emotions they were supposed to reflect. The participants were informed that their own facial expressions would be recorded and analysed by special software. This experiment confirmed that facial muscle activity associated with imitating emotions can influence the assessment of another person's character traits.

In Experiment 3, the researchers behaviourally assessed trust by asking participants (64 people including 43 women) to share virtual points in a "trust/investment game”. The participants share points with other players about whom they had obtained information earlier. The third experiment confirmed that people who smiled were imitated more often than those who were sad. Moreover, emotional mimicry played a significant role in terms of expressed trust. In contrast to the first experiment, social similarity was not significant.

A smile means you can trust

The researchers confirmed previous observations that people judge smiling people better and trust them more, especially when they are socially similar to them. The observation that we are more likely to mimic joy than signs of sadness or anger was also verified.

Our study shows that people draw conclusions about others based on their facial expressions. Most importantly, this study reinforces the view that facial expressions predict character trait judgements, and that happiness is particularly important here. To some extent, this confirms the common observation that expressing positive emotions can result in better attitudes towards a given person. From a scientific point of view, these results expand our knowledge about the role of emotional mimicry in social interactions, Olszanowski says.

The paper “Smile and the World Smiles (and Trusts) with You: Happiness Mimicry Shapes First Impressions” was published in the journal Emotion.

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Journal

Emotion

DOI

10.1037/emo0001586 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Smile and the world smiles (and trusts) with you: Happiness mimicry shapes first impressions.

 

HEGSETH'S KULT OF WAR

INL advances Department of War’s Project Pele demonstration microreactor with first TRISO fuel delivery

ARES INVOKES PELE THE VOLCANO GODDESS

DOE/Idaho National Laboratory

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INL operations staff members prepare to unload casks containing TRISO fuel that will power Project Pele. The project is led by the Department of War’s Strategic Capabilities Office in partnership with BWXT, the Department of Energy and INL.

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Credit: Idaho National Laboratory

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — The recent delivery of advanced nuclear fuel to the Idaho National Laboratory’s Transient Reactor Test Facility marks a major milestone for Project Pele, a first-of-its-kind mobile microreactor prototype designed to provide resilient power for military operations.

The fuel, known as tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel, is made from uranium, carbon and oxygen, formed into a small kernel. This kernel is coated in multiple layers — including silicon carbide — that make it extremely durable under high heat, radiation, and corrosive conditions. Thousands of these poppy seed-sized particles are combined into compact fuel forms used in advanced reactors like the one being developed under Project Pele by the Department of War’s Strategic Capabilities Office.

The first delivery of TRISO fuel for the future demonstration reactor was celebrated today by INL, the Strategic Capabilities Office, the U.S. Army, BWX Technologies Inc. (BWXT), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) who are collaborating on the fuel project.

“This milestone reflects years of dedicated effort by the Office of Nuclear Energy’s Advanced Gas Reactor TRISO Fuel Qualification Program to fabricate and qualify TRISO fuel using world-class capabilities at INL’s Advanced Test Reactor and Materials and Fuels Complex, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory — capabilities that exist nowhere else in the world,” said John Wagner, INL director. “That investment is now enabling Project Pele to move forward with the speed and confidence our national security demands to accelerate American innovation and demonstrate the leadership that will define this era of nuclear energy.”

“We’re thrilled to see the Project Pele microreactor design continue to make forward progress,” added principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Mike Goff. “This is a great example of how we can accelerate innovation in advanced nuclear fuels and technologies through collaborative partnerships.”

The event featured remarks from Department of Energy, the Department of War’s Strategic Capabilities Office and BWXT leaders, along with a ceremonial signing of a commemorative photograph. It also highlighted the collaborative efforts of federal and private-sector partners in advancing reliable energy solutions for defense applications.

“The completion of the production and delivery of the first batch of TRISO fuel is an important milestone for Project Pele, and it further accelerates the administration’s objectives to enable private sector investment, innovation, development and use of advanced nuclear technologies,” said David Schurr, the Strategic Capabilities Office’s project manager for Pele.

“This is the first TRISO microreactor fuel delivered at its final destination,” added Jeff Waksman, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. “Project Pele is a transformational leap toward Gen-IV nuclear power, and the Army’s Janus Program will follow on to deliver affordable, reliable, commercial nuclear power to ensure that our critical infrastructure has power even if the electric grid is disrupted.

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