Bubbles in flooded field

[achrap]

Was out inspecting the bottom field that is flooding and noticed air bubbles coming out of the ground. There are lots of them in an area approx 75 ft in diameter. No gas lines on property. Some of them look like an air hose under the water. There is about eight inches of water right now and rising. Could this be methane? I just never observed it before.

[Bearfootfarm]

Could this be methane?

Does it smell like "swamp gas? Will it burn?

If not it's probably just air trapped in the ground

[VERN in IL]

How fast does the water rise?

[Harry Chickpea]

Could be methane, could be a sinkhole or burrows, or a small cave filling with water. If there was a hole in the field that was filled with stumps and limbs and then covered over, could be a combination of things.

[julieq]

Zombie tunnels!

[fordy]

Originally Posted by achrap

Was out inspecting the bottom field that is flooding and noticed air bubbles coming out of the ground. There are lots of them in an area approx 75 ft in diameter. No gas lines on property. Some of them look like an air hose under the water. There is about eight inches of water right now and rising. Could this be methane? I just never observed it before.

...................Have they been drilling any gas wells within a mile or so of this occurance ? It is possible for the frac fluid too be pumped UPhole rather than into the rock formation , it will follow the path of least resistance which means it may invade fresh water zones and water wells , or even come too the surface . Once this alternate pathway is established , the gas can possibly follow the same route . , fordy

[plowjockey]

Air pockets in the soil, being displaced with the pressure, of 8 inches of water?

[achrap]

The soil is sandy with gravel on bottom land. I guess it could be any of the above. I just never really saw this before in my 32 years living here.

[sweet_p]

Any water or sewer lines you know or may not know about?

[Rustaholic]

Thanks, You just took me back to 1972.
That year I believe it was Shell that drilled an oil well without drilling enough relief wells or something like that.
Anyway natural gas was released into the water tables and there was gas coming to the surface all over this area.
Almost everyone in this area was moved out of the area.
Almost I say because one family was still here.
Back then I was a teen and a lot of us teens would pile into their station wagon after church on Sundays and then go back to church on Sunday evenings.
That Sunday he took a 2-track and powerline route home and he was right,,,
We never saw a single sign that said the area was closed.
After we all raided their kitchen we took a walk across the field 1/2 mile to see a large gas hole on the closed main road.
There was a hole in the road seven feet across that had water in it and gas bubbling up through the water.
Walking back across that field I was behind the rest of them and I told them all to stop.
I saw waves in the ground. I asked one of them to jump up and when he came down three of us were watching the waves go out from there just like throwing a rock in water.
It was all hay field and had recently been cut and baled.
I looked down and everywhere there was gas bubbling out of dry ground.
We all turned right into some woods because the ground there was full of tree roots.
Four years later I bought this property and learned that during
the gas blow-out water from the well here was just as white as milk.
I found just a little info on-line by googling Gas Blow-out Williamsburg, MI 1972.

[VERN in IL]

He lives in Ohio, was there some coal mining going on in the past?

[plowjockey]

Is it still bubbleing?

[OkieDavid]

Set a wadded up paper sack on fire and float/push it out to the bubbles. You'll know soon enough.

[watcher]

Most likely just air bubbles, either from the soil or from the grass. I've seen this happen a lot. You get a ton of rain resulting in standing water and there's bubbles coming up for days.