Global atmospheric methane: budget, changes and dangers
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration · NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory · +1 more institution
Abstract
A factor of 2.5 increase in the global abundance of atmospheric methane (CH(4)) since 1750 contributes 0.5 Wm(-2) to total direct radiative forcing by long-lived greenhouse gases (2.77 Wm(-2) in 2009), while its role in atmospheric chemistry adds another approximately 0.2 Wm(-2) of indirect forcing. Since CH(4) has a relatively short lifetime and it is very close to a steady state, reductions in its emissions would quickly benefit climate. Sensible emission mitigation strategies require quantitative understanding of CH(4)'s budget of emissions and sinks. Atmospheric observations of CH(4) abundance and its rate of increase, combined with an estimate of the CH(4) lifetime, constrain total global CH(4) emissions…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 28.35
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 41
Authors
4Topics & keywords
- Radiative forcing
- Greenhouse gas
- Environmental science
- Methane
- Atmospheric sciences
- Atmospheric methane
- Abundance (ecology)
- Forcing (mathematics)
- Climate action