Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases, absorbing over twice as much energy than carbon dioxide over 100 years. Unfortunately, its lifespan in the atmosphere is short-lived.
Natural sources include biological decomposition of organic matter at shallow depths in low-oxygen environments like wetlands and bogs; other sources may include rice fields or even mud volcanoes.
It’s a Common Carrier
Methane (CH4) is an invisible, odorless and highly flammable gas found both naturally in the atmosphere as well as produced through human activities such as fueling homes or running air conditioners and cars. Methane also forms the main constituent of natural gas used to power homes, industrial facilities, air conditioners and cars.
Methane is considered to be a greenhouse gas, meaning that it absorbs and stores heat from the sun to heat up the atmosphere, warming it further. Therefore, methane stands as one of the key greenhouse gases alongside carbon dioxide.
Since industrialization of the world began, atmospheric methane concentrations have steadily risen from 700 parts per billion (ppb) prior to industrialization to an estimated 1,800 ppb today; approximately twice what they were pre-industrialization. Scientists are not exactly certain why concentrations have skyrocketed but know that fossil fuel emissions likely play a large part.
Methane emissions come from various ecosystems and activities such as wetland ecosystems, mud volcanoes, rice fields and termite mounds; digestion by ruminants or other animals digesting organic material; fossil fuel extraction processes which often leak methane into the environment and emissions caused by fossil fuel extraction operations that leave residue behind; as well as by natural processes like volcanic eruptions that spew gases into the air releasing methane into the environment.
Methane has an extremely short lifespan in the atmosphere; after approximately 12 years it decomposes into methanol, water, and CO2, decreasing its climate impact by over 80 percent.
Methane emissions from human sources should be minimized as methane has only a short lifecycle in comparison with CO2. Therefore, methane reduction from anthrogenic sources is so important.
Methane can easily be combined with hydrogen to form low-carbon natural gas through methane blending, an efficient process undertaken in both France and England. Recent experiments show that an 80/20 mixture of methane and hydrogen can easily move through existing natural gas pipelines to power buildings and vehicles without complex conversion equipment – for instance a pilot project in Dunkirk has successfully provided 100 homes as well as hospital boilers with energy through this technique.
It’s a Liquid
Methane is the fundamental constituent of alkanes – a series of hydrocarbons classified as alkanes that is composed of carbon-based molecules with no color and high combustibility. Methane has no smell and is highly flammable.
Like most greenhouse gases, methane contributes to global warming by trapping heat from the sun within its atmosphere – 22 times more potency than carbon dioxide in this regard.
Short term methane emissions might not pose much of a problem, but over time they can have a devastating impact on climate change. Think of it like this: you put away two dollars every day into an envelope; at first it might seem insignificant but by year’s end the pile has grown much further than initially anticipated.
Scientists estimate that 27 percent of global methane emissions come from cows belching and farting through enteric fermentation while digesting their food, with other emissions coming from landfills, rice farming, sewage treatment plants, humans digesting their own foods as well as termites eating theirs as well as leakage from natural gas pipelines.
Methane has a shorter atmospheric lifetime than CO2, lasting only 12 years before being destroyed by tropical hydroxyl radicals (OH). As such, methane pollution represents a “short-lived climate pollutant,” making rapid reductions of methane all the more vital.
Methane remains a harmful greenhouse gas in our atmosphere, contributing to ground level ozone levels and making breathing harder. Furthermore, it contributes to air pollutant build-up as well as potential explosions when coming in contact with water sources.
Scientists have determined that one effective way of reducing methane emissions is capturing and using it as a clean energy source. Methane could replace coal, oil and other fossil fuels in power generation; heating homes; producing electricity; or running industrial processes – thus making methane emissions far less hazardous.
Methane provides us with an opportunity to counter climate change while meeting energy demands for today and tomorrow. Additionally, it’s plentiful, affordable and clean – which makes methane an excellent alternative to fossil fuels like petroleum.
It’s a Gas
Methane (CH4) is an odorless, colorless and flammable natural gas found both naturally in the environment as well as fossil fuel. As part of the paraffin series of saturated hydrocarbons, methane provides energy sources as well as manufacturing organic chemicals and producing electricity. Methane makes up a major component of natural gas which can be found in landfills, swamps or even animal digestive tracts (think cow burps!). It’s even found within landfills themselves!
Methane emissions don’t produce as much warming impact than carbon dioxide emissions do; but they still can have significant repercussions for climate change. They act like unpaid credit card bills in that over time they add up and can have serious repercussions for our ecosystems.
Monitoring methane emissions, greenhouse gases and other pollutants is essential to understand where they’re coming from. Researchers use various techniques such as the Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer – Next Generation (AVIRIS-NG), mounted onto research planes which detect wavelengths absorbed by methane.
Scientists use various tools, such as ground-based sensors and the Landsat satellite’s methane sensor, to pinpoint areas with high concentrations of methane. Dense farming areas like Sichuan Basin in southwestern China contain especially high levels of methane due to a large natural gas industry as well as many rice paddies and animal farms located there. Other major agricultural regions worldwide tend to have lower methane concentrations such as Tibetan Plateau or Brazilian Amazonia.
Because it’s more widespread than other fossil fuels, methane has proven difficult to replace. Furthermore, its use is closely connected with transportation, building, and energy industries; making transitioning away from gas difficult without creating serious repercussions in these sectors of society which would impact climate change negatively. Luckily there are emerging technologies which aim to reduce methane emissions while simultaneously replacing them with alternative renewable sources of energy that also offer transportation, environmental, and safety benefits.
It’s a Fuel
Methane (CH4) is the primary component of natural gas, used to power industrial plants and provide energy for homes among other purposes. Additionally, methane acts as a greenhouse gas which contributes to climate change by having a shorter atmospheric lifetime – around 12 years versus centuries for carbon dioxide – and by absorbing more of the sun’s infrared radiation than CO2. Due to these properties, methane’s warming properties make it even more powerful at increasing global warming.
Methane emissions originate mostly from fossil fuel deposits formed over millennia by intense pressure and temperatures, creating deposits such as coal, oil and natural gas deposits that were formed under immense pressure and temperatures over millions of years. When these deposits are extracted for coal, oil or natural gas extraction, methane gas emissions are released into the air as the fossil fuel is mined or transported, or released through livestock activities or decomposition of organic waste in landfills.
Human-caused methane emissions pose a major environmental concern due to their contribution to global warming. One source is enteric fermentation — where cattle digest their food — which accounts for 27 percent of global methane emissions; another source includes organic waste released by landfills (9 percent) or coal mines (8 percent).
Humans also release methane when drilling for fossil fuels, transporting them through pipelines, or extracting coal and natural gas from the Earth’s crust. These emissions contribute to climate change by absorbing solar infrared radiation that would otherwise have been trapped by Earth’s protective ozone layer.
Thermal expansion caused by methane increases sea levels by absorbing heat from the atmosphere and expanding water volumes in volume.
Methane can pose a health threat for humans in small concentrations. Although nontoxic on its own, when displaces oxygen from bloodstream it can lead to asphyxiation symptoms that often go undetected until brain sends signals for fresh air intake. Most people can tolerate up to 16% methane before symptoms emerge and asphyxiation symptoms become apparent – and usually symptoms go undetected until brain signals signal for fresh air intake.
Researchers are actively developing technologies to reduce methane emissions through satellite monitoring of fossil fuel production and mining operations, mixing methane with hydrogen from existing natural gas pipelines to create renewable, carbon-neutral fuel sources.
