Methane in Atmosphere

Methane is a gas given off by a variety of natural and man made sources. Methane in the atmosphere is a cause of global warming as Methane is a greenhouse gas.

Methane in Atmosphere

Methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas that remains in the atmosphere for approximately 9 to15 years. Methane is over 20 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. It is emitted from a variety of natural and human-influenced sources. Human-influenced sources include landfills, natural gas and petroleum systems, agricultural activities, coal mining, stationary and mobile combustion, wastewater treatment and certain industrial process.

Methane is also a primary constituent of natural gas and an important energy source. As a result, efforts to prevent or utilize methane emissions can provide significant energy, economic and environmental benefits.

Methane’s chemical characteristics and interactions in the atmosphere contribute to its significance as a greenhouse gas.  Once in the atmosphere, methane absorbs terrestrial infrared radiation that would otherwise escape to space. This property can contribute to the warming of the atmosphere, which is why methane is a greenhouse gas.

Methane is about 21 times more powerful at warming the atmosphere than carbon dioxide (CO2) by weight. Methane's chemical lifetime in the atmosphere is approximately 12 years. Methane’s relatively short atmospheric lifetime, coupled with its potency as a greenhouse gas, makes it a candidate for mitigating global warming over the near-term (i.e., next 25 years or so).

By substantially reducing the amount of methane in the atmosphere, we may be able to reduce the dramatic global warming we are seeing.

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