We are getting close to a tipping point.
Researchers have been tracking levels of methane found in the atmosphere
They compared the type of methane in the air to that frozen in ice for centuries
They found methane in ice since the industrial revolution is linked to fossil fuels
However, methane since 2007 is linked to microbes, in wetlands and livestock
They are now working out whether it is from wetlands, livestock or landfill
If it comes from wetlands, it could mean we are in a new methane feedback loop
This is where warming temperatures lead to more methane from wetlands, and then that extra methane further warms the planet, leading to more methane
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Levels of methane found in the atmosphere are ‘growing dangerously fast’, scientists have warned, and it could be global warming causing the rapid increase.
A report, published in Nature, was compiled by an international team that examines data gathered by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) throughout 2021.
Methane is a dangerous, powerful greenhouse gas, with sources ranging from natural wetlands, to human activity, including livestock farming.
In the new study, the team found that methane in the atmosphere had raced past 1,900 parts per billion, which is triple levels found before the industrial revolution.
This ‘grim new milestone’ could be linked to global warming causing a rise in wetland areas, which then produce higher levels of methane, the team said.
Methane growth started to slow down around 2000, but there was a ‘mysterious uptick’ around 2007, which caused researchers at the time to worry global warming was creating a ‘feedback mechanism’.
More:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10490897/Levels-methane-atmosphere-growing-dangerously-fast-warn-scientists.html