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Tropical methane emissions explain large fraction of recent changes in global atmospheric methane growth rate

Author

Listed:
  • Liang Feng

    (University of Edinburgh
    University of Edinburgh)

  • Paul I. Palmer

    (University of Edinburgh
    University of Edinburgh)

  • Sihong Zhu

    (University of Edinburgh
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Robert J. Parker

    (University of Leicester
    University of Leicester)

  • Yi Liu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

Large variations in the growth of atmospheric methane, a prominent greenhouse gas, are driven by a diverse range of anthropogenic and natural emissions and by loss from oxidation by the hydroxyl radical. We used a decade-long dataset (2010–2019) of satellite observations of methane to show that tropical terrestrial emissions explain more than 80% of the observed changes in the global atmospheric methane growth rate over this period. Using correlative meteorological analyses, we show strong seasonal correlations (r = 0.6–0.8) between large-scale changes in sea surface temperature over the tropical oceans and regional variations in methane emissions (via changes in rainfall and temperature) over tropical South America and tropical Africa. Existing predictive skill for sea surface temperature variations could therefore be used to help forecast variations in global atmospheric methane.

Suggested Citation

  • Liang Feng & Paul I. Palmer & Sihong Zhu & Robert J. Parker & Yi Liu, 2022. "Tropical methane emissions explain large fraction of recent changes in global atmospheric methane growth rate," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-28989-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28989-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Paul I. Palmer & Liang Feng & David Baker & Frédéric Chevallier & Hartmut Bösch & Peter Somkuti, 2019. "Net carbon emissions from African biosphere dominate pan-tropical atmospheric CO2 signal," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Kevin Robert Gurney & Rachel M. Law & A. Scott Denning & Peter J. Rayner & David Baker & Philippe Bousquet & Lori Bruhwiler & Yu-Han Chen & Philippe Ciais & Songmiao Fan & Inez Y. Fung & Manuel Gloor , 2002. "Towards robust regional estimates of CO2 sources and sinks using atmospheric transport models," Nature, Nature, vol. 415(6872), pages 626-630, February.
    3. Scot M. Miller & Anna M. Michalak & Robert G. Detmers & Otto P. Hasekamp & Lori M. P. Bruhwiler & Stefan Schwietzke, 2019. "China’s coal mine methane regulations have not curbed growing emissions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-8, December.
    4. Ning Wang & Zongguo Wen & Tao Zhu, 2015. "An estimation of regional emission intensity of coal mine methane based on coefficient‐intensity factor methodology using China as a case study," Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 5(4), pages 437-448, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Qinyi Li & Rafael P. Fernandez & Ryan Hossaini & Fernando Iglesias-Suarez & Carlos A. Cuevas & Eric C. Apel & Douglas E. Kinnison & Jean-François Lamarque & Alfonso Saiz-Lopez, 2022. "Reactive halogens increase the global methane lifetime and radiative forcing in the 21st century," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Barut, Abdulkadir & Kaya, Emine & Bekun, Festus Victor & Cengiz, Sevgi, 2023. "Environmental sustainability amidst financial inclusion in five fragile economies: Evidence from lens of environmental Kuznets curve," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).

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