Buzz
A huge lawn bubble formed on the 14th fairway of the Greywolf Golf Course in Invermere, British Columbia, following a break in the irrigation system. Greywolf Golf CourseWho hasn’t been tempted to pop a blister or an angry zit? A quick search on YouTube proves we're all a little obsessed with watching others do it. But what if one appeared on your lawn? Wouldn’t you want to press it until its liquid came pouring out? Naturally, you would!
But lawns don’t get fluid-filled blisters, do they? Well, some actually do. They’re known as “lawn bubbles,” “grass blisters,” or “turf bubbles,” and they’re fascinating to gaze at — and even more fun to pop.
So, what exactly are lawn bubbles? Essentially, they’re water-filled balloons that form just beneath the grass’s surface. Much like a pimple on your forehead, these blisters can grow to impressive sizes. A video went viral in 2017 when James Callender, a resident of Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania, discovered a lawn bubble in his backyard following a heavy rainfall. There were no other obvious causes: no leaking septic, no broken pipes—just the massive, wavy blister, even bigger than a waterbed.
Lawn bubbles can appear for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, water becomes trapped beneath plastic sheeting placed under the turf. Landscapers use sheeting when the soil quality is poor, and they cover it with good soil to help the grass flourish. More often, these bubbles occur when water accumulates after a rainstorm or a burst water pipe.
In 2016, scientists in Siberia were shocked to discover 15 lawn blisters. Initially, they assumed the blisters were caused by methane seeping from melting permafrost. But later, they determined it was mostly water trapped between the topsoil and the frozen ground. When moisture from the topsoil melted, it couldn’t escape because the layer below remained frozen, resulting in a "bubble."
When scientists examined these bubbles more closely, they found that they also contained high levels of carbon dioxide and methane. These gases form when organic matter and decaying grass break down. Tiny microbes trapped beneath the surface consume the rotting material, producing CO2 when oxygen is present and methane in the absence of oxygen.
Experts point out that vast amounts of carbon dioxide and methane are trapped within the permafrost. These gases were produced millions of years ago by ancient microbes breaking down organic matter. As the planet warms and the permafrost begins to thaw, there’s growing concern that these greenhouse gases will escape into the atmosphere, worsening the already critical climate situation.
