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Atmospheric methane
About: Atmospheric methane is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2034 publications have been published within this topic receiving 119616 citations.
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TL;DR: Aptian-Albian carbon isotope records of marine carbonate, marine organic carbon, and terrestrially photosynthesized carbon as a 3-5% negative excursion were recorded in the early Aptian (ca. 117 Ma) CO 2 clathrates as mentioned in this paper.
59 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors took some 120,000 measurements of atmospheric methane at Cape Meares on the Oregon coast between 1979 and 1992, and the average concentration during the experiment was 1698 parts per billion by volume (ppbv).
Abstract: Between 1979 and 1992 we took some 120,000 measurements of atmospheric methane at Cape Meares on the Oregon coast. The site is representative of methane concentrations in the northern latitudes (from 30 deg N to 90 deg N). The average concentration during the experiment was 1698 parts per billion by volume (ppbv). Methane concentration increased by 190 ppbv (or 11.9 percent) during the 13-year span of the experiment. The rate of increase was about 20 +/- 4 ppbv/yr in the first 2 yr and 10 +/- 2 ppbv/yr in the last 2 yr of the experiment, suggesting a substantial decline in the trend at northern middle and high latitudes. Prominent seasonal cycles were observed. During the year, the concentration stays more or less constant until May and then starts falling, reaching lowest levels in July and August, then rises rapidly to nearly maximum concentrations in October. Interannual variations with small amplitudes of 2-3 ppbv occur with periods of 1.4 and 6.5 yr.
59 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors compare modeled and observed atmospheric methane (CH4) between 1996 and 2001, focusing on the role of interannually varying (IAV) transport.
Abstract: [1] We compare modeled and observed atmospheric methane (CH4) between 1996 and 2001, focusing on the role of interannually varying (IAV) transport. The comparison uses observations taken at 13 high-frequency (∼hourly) in situ and 6 low-frequency (∼weekly) flask measurement sites. To simulate atmospheric methane, we use the global 3-D chemical transport model (MATCH) driven by NCEP reanalyzed winds at T62 resolution (∼1.8° × 1.8°). For the simulation, both methane surface emissions and atmospheric sink (OH destruction) are prescribed as annually repeating fields; thus, atmospheric transport is the only IAV component in the simulation. MATCH generally reproduces the amplitude and phase of the observed methane seasonal cycles. At the high-frequency sites, the model also captures much of the observed CH4 variability due to transient synoptic events, which are sometimes related to global transport events. For example, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and El Nino are shown to influence year-to-year methane observations at Mace Head (Ireland) and Cape Matatula (Samoa), respectively. Simulations of individual flask measurements are generally more difficult to interpret at certain sites, partially due to observational undersampling in areas of high methane variability. A model-observational comparison of methane monthly means at seven coincident in situ and flask locations shows a better comparison at the in situ sites. Additional simulations conducted at coarser MATCH resolution (T42, ∼2.8° × 2.8°) showed differences from the T62 simulation at sites near strong emissions. This study highlights the importance of using consistent observed meteorology to simulate atmospheric methane, especially when comparing to high-frequency observations.
59 citations
59 citations
TL;DR: Temperature increases methane emissions in alpine wetlands, while vegetation contributes significantly to methanogenic community composition and is associated with methane emissions, which furthers a global warming feedback loop.
Abstract: Zoige wetland, locating on the Tibet Plateau, accounts for 6.2% of organic carbon storage in China. However, the fate of the organic carbon storage in the Zoige wetland remains poorly understood despite the Tibetan Plateau is very sensitive to global climate change. As methane is an important greenhouse gas and methanogenesis is the terminal step in the decomposition of organic matter, understanding how methane emissions from the Zoige wetland is fundamental to elucidate the carbon cycle in alpine wetlands responding to global warming. In this study, microcosms were performed to investigate the effects of temperature and vegetation on methane emissions and microbial processes in the Zoige wetland soil. A positive correlation was observed between temperature and methane emissions. However, temperature had no effect on the main methanogenic pathway—acetotrophic methanogenesis. Moreover, methanogenic community composition was not related to temperature, but was associated with vegetation, which was also involved in methane emissions. Taken together, these results indicate temperature increases methane emissions in alpine wetlands, while vegetation contributes significantly to methanogenic community composition and is associated with methane emissions. These findings suggest that in alpine wetlands temperature and vegetation act together to affect methane emissions, which furthers a global warming feedback loop.
59 citations