Articles | Volume 23, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4863-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4863-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| Highlight paper
| 
25 Apr 2023
Research article | Highlight paper |
| 25 Apr 2023
| 25 Apr 2023
Methane emissions are predominantly responsible for record-breaking atmospheric methane growth rates in 2020 and 2021
Liang Feng
National Centre for Earth Observation, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh,
UK
National Centre for Earth Observation, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh,
UK
School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
Robert J. Parker
National Centre for Earth Observation, Space Park Leicester, University of
Leicester, Leicester, UK
Earth Observation Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Leicester, Leicester, UK
Mark F. Lunt
School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
Hartmut Bösch
National Centre for Earth Observation, Space Park Leicester, University of
Leicester, Leicester, UK
Earth Observation Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Leicester, Leicester, UK
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- The methane imperative D. Shindell et al. 10.3389/fsci.2024.1349770
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- Quantifying Methane Emissions Using Satellite Data: Application of the Integrated Methane Inversion (IMI) Model to Assess Danish Emissions A. Vara-Vela et al. 10.3390/rs16234554
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- Highly Uncertain Methane Leakage from Oil and Gas Wells in Canada Despite Measurement and Reporting S. Seymour et al. 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.4c00908
- Clean air policy makes methane harder to control due to longer lifetime B. Fu et al. 10.1016/j.oneear.2024.06.010
- New evidence for CH4 enhancement in the upper troposphere associated with the Asian summer monsoon M. Tao et al. 10.1088/1748-9326/ad2738
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- Effect of methane mitigation on global temperature under a permafrost feedback H. Bäck et al. 10.1016/j.gecadv.2024.100005
6 citations as recorded by crossref.
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- The consolidated European synthesis of CH4 and N2O emissions for the European Union and United Kingdom: 1990–2019 A. Petrescu et al. 10.5194/essd-15-1197-2023
- Satellite data reveal how Sudd wetland dynamics are linked with globally-significant methane emissions A. Hardy et al. 10.1088/1748-9326/ace272
- COVID-19 lockdown emission reductions have the potential to explain over half of the coincident increase in global atmospheric methane D. Stevenson et al. 10.5194/acp-22-14243-2022
- On the Chemical Pathways Influencing the Effective Global Warming Potential of Commercial Hydrofluoroolefin Gases G. Salierno 10.1002/cssc.202400280
- Attribution of the 2020 surge in atmospheric methane by inverse analysis of GOSAT observations Z. Qu et al. 10.1088/1748-9326/ac8754
Latest update: 25 Dec 2024
Executive editor
After a period of near-zero growth of atmospheric methane, a major greenhouse gas, its growth rates have increased, with values in 2020 and 2021 exceeding all prior values since the beginning of systematic measurements in 1983. This recent acceleration, particularly during the covid-19 years 2020 and 2021, raises the question whether the methane increase was due to stronger sources or reduced sinks in the troposphere. A reduction of the tropospheric abundance of the hydroxyl radical (OH), the reaction of which is the main tropospheric methane sink, could be plausibly explained by global-scale reductions in nitrogen oxides due to pandemic-related industry shutdowns. Using an inversion scheme, Feng et al. demonstrate that such a reduction only accounts for about 34% in 2020 and 10% in 2021 of the observed methane rise. Instead, the authors attribute increased methane emissions to hydrological anomalies and microbial sources over the tropics, i.e., Eastern Africa and tropical South America, and temperate North America.
The study demonstrates the importance of simultaneously accounting for changes in methane emissions and sinks for an improved quantitative understanding of the evolution of the methane concentrations to assess the role of greenhouse gases in climate change and tropospheric composition.
After a period of near-zero growth of atmospheric methane, a major greenhouse gas, its growth...
Short summary
Our understanding of recent changes in atmospheric methane has defied explanation. Since 2007, the atmospheric growth of methane has accelerated to record-breaking values in 2020 and 2021. We use satellite observations of methane to show that (1) increasing emissions over the tropics are mostly responsible for these recent atmospheric changes, and (2) changes in the OH sink during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown can explain up to 34% of changes in atmospheric methane for that year.
Our understanding of recent changes in atmospheric methane has defied explanation. Since 2007,...
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