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Ecology & Environment
Mahesh

17/12/22 07:55 AM IST

Methane emissions in 2020

In News
  • Low nitrogen oxide pollution and warming wetlands likely drove global methane emissions to record high levels in 2020, according to a new study.
Major Findings
  • Global methane emissions reached roughly 15 parts per billion (ppb) in 2020 from 9.9 ppb in 2019.
  • Methane emissions from oil and natural gas decreased by 3.1 Tg per year compared to 2019. Contributions from coal mining decreased by 1.3 Tg per year.
  • Fire emissions, too, dropped by 6.5 Tg per year. Globally, fire emissions appear to have fallen in 2020 compared to 2019.
  • Further, contributions from the agricultural sector went up by 1.6 Tg per year. Wetland emissions rose by 6.0 Tg per year.
  • Nitrogen oxide enters the atmosphere from exhaust gases of cars and trucks as well as electrical power generation plants. Thus during the lockdown, Nitrogen oxide pollution was reduced drastically increasing methane levels.
  • Precipitation over global wetlands showed a 2-11 per cent annual increase in 2020 relative to 2019. Water‐logged soils make conditions ripe for soil microorganisms, allowing them to produce more methane.
  • Northern Eurasia experienced warmer-than-usual conditions from early spring to late summer.
  • Roughly 53 per cent of the methane growth can be attributed to lower hydroxyl sink, and the remaining 47 per cent from natural sources, predominately wetlands.
Methane
  • Methane is short-lived, compared to carbon dioxide.
  • Methane has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years of its lifetime in the atmosphere.
  • The common sources of methane are oil and natural gas systems, agricultural activities, coal mining and wastes.
Source- DTE

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