Articles tagged with Methane
Researchers found a significant drop in biomass burning methane emissions from 1500 to 1600 due to indigenous population decline in South and Central America. Methane levels have increased by nearly 300% since the Industrial Revolution, with human activities accounting for 60% of atmospheric emissions.
A new model suggests that the transition from a hydrogen-rich atmosphere to an oxygen-rich one occurred approximately 2.4 billion years ago, driven by the escape of hydrogen atoms into space. This allowed free oxygen to oxidize the crust and eventually dominate the atmosphere.
A NASA study finds that methane's impact on climate change may be significantly higher than previously thought, potentially accounting for a third of the gas's overall effect. The research suggests that methane emissions play a substantial role in increasing tropospheric ozone levels, which contributes to global warming.
The Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research is leading a $14.3 million project to store carbon dioxide in unmineable coal beds, promising to reduce emissions from coal-fired power plants and prolong the life of these reservoirs. Field tests will be conducted in three target geologic formations within the southeast region.
A new study by Dartmouth researchers suggests that methane on Mars can be produced from non-living sources, including the mineral olivine. The findings provide a plausible explanation for a warmer and wetter early Mars, with abundant liquid water present on the surface.
Researchers using Cassini-Huygens Spacecraft measured Titan's temperature, winds, and chemical composition, finding methane abundance and seasonal changes comparable to Earth's. The study suggests Titan's organic chemistry is an analog of early terrestrial processes, potentially hinting at the moon's habitability.
A new study confirms the Earth's energy is out of balance, with more energy absorbed from the sun than emitted back to space. The imbalance, measured at 0.85 watts per meter squared, will cause an additional 0.6 degrees Celsius warming by the end of this century.
Researchers found conditions unfavorable for methane gas hydrate formation in the northern Gulf of Mexico due to salt domes and hot sediments. The study suggests deposits may be thin or non-existent, contradicting previous estimates.
Researchers mimic seafloor conditions to study methane hydrate formation and decomposition, aiming to identify safe extraction methods. The study's findings may help develop strategies to tap into locked-up methane reserves.
Researchers infer that Titan has acquired significant amounts of ammonia and water, which could be responsible for resurfacing parts of the moon. The Cassini-Huygens mission suggests that liquid ammonia-and-water layers may exist beneath Titan's surface.
Scientists have detected a 'whiff' of methane evaporating off the surface of Saturn's moon Titan, revealing insights into its geology and weather systems. The data from the Huygens probe also suggests that beneath the thin crust lies a material made of water ice grains.
Researchers recreated extreme conditions to find that rocks rich in chromium minerals accelerate the production of more complex hydrocarbons. This process may help explain the diverse communities thriving around hydrothermal vents.
Scientists at LUCA Technologies have confirmed the presence of living methanogenic organisms in coalfields, producing methane in real-time. This finding suggests a potential long-term source of renewable natural gas, replacing finite energy resources.
Acid rain suppresses methane emissions from wetlands, but only for a short time. The effect of acid rain on methane emissions is more than enough to compensate for the expected increase due to climate change.
The Huygens probe will encounter a mysterious surface of seven-kilometer-high ice mountains and liquid methane seas. Scientists expect the Cassini spacecraft to improve the current sketchy picture of Titan's surface.
The study reveals that methanotrophs, including M. capsulatus, have multiple pathways for using methane and can respond to environmental changes by switching between different chemical pathways. This flexibility could make them a valuable tool for reducing methane emissions.
A multidisciplinary team reports the first complete genome sequence of Methylococcus capsulatus, a methane-loving bacterium that can consume methane and produce protein. The genome provides insights into methanotroph biology and its potential for bioremediation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and degrading pollutants.
The bacteria sequester methane and turn it into methyl alcohol using methanobactin, a tiny pyramid-shaped compound with a cleft that holds a single atom of copper. Methanobactin serves to keep copper under control and protect the bacterial cells from its toxicity.
Geologists found that the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by continents led to a cooling effect, resulting in the collapse of the early greenhouse. The recycling of carbon through volcanic activity eventually regenerated the greenhouse, leading to a warming of the planet.
A study published in Nature found that thick marine beds of siderite suggest early high carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. The research suggests that the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was more than 100 times greater than today, causing acidic ocean water and maintaining liquid oceans.
The study found significant increases in methane emissions from thawing permafrost in Abisko, Sweden, potentially accelerating climate warming. Methane emissions have risen by up to 60% since 1970, with the ecosystem's sensitivity to temperature changes being rapid and dynamic.
Research suggests that gas hydrates, formed in deep-sea sediments, contain massive amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. These hydrates can charge and discharge variable amounts of methane constantly, responding to factors not yet understood. This finding necessitates a revised view of the carbon cycle.
This AGU journal features research on space weather substorms, with a possible explanation for large magnetic fluctuations during the onset of a space weather substorm. Additionally, high frequency sea ice motion may affect Arctic dynamics, while tropical drought regions in global warming and El Nino teleconnections are also explored.
New research reveals that Siberian peat bogs originated suddenly around 11,500 years ago and have been absorbing vast amounts of carbon dioxide while releasing large amounts of methane. The findings suggest that thawing permafrost could release these trapped gases, leading to a significant shift in climate trends.
New evidence from south China suggests a massive methane release occurred about 600 million years ago, thawing the Earth's climate. Methane hydrates are believed to be the source of this release, which would have had a profound impact on global climate if it were to happen again.
Researchers have discovered a chemical fingerprint of methane gas from ancient ocean sediments, indicating massive passage of methane through the sediments. The findings suggest that methane clathrates played a significant role in mass extinctions associated with climate change.
Researchers found evidence suggesting that the Navajo Sandstone in Utah may have been a large hydrocarbon reservoir, releasing bleaching gas into the atmosphere. The study suggests that this release could have influenced Earth's ancient climate and had significant implications for global carbon fluxes.
A researcher is developing photochemistry techniques that could help produce gasoline more efficiently and create new sensors for detecting pollutants. His work also has the potential to enhance the quality of microcircuitry and improve the aerospace and automobile industries.
A new study provides reliable estimates of tropical sea surface temperature changes during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, fitting existing climate models. The findings support greenhouse climate theory and back global warming predictions, with significant implications for understanding current climate trends.
A UCI study found unexpectedly high hydrocarbon levels in central and southwest US regions, including Oklahoma City, with pollution levels exceeding those in high-smog cities. The research suggests total hydrocarbon emissions are higher than previously estimated, contributing to the American air pollution problem.
Brookhaven chemist Mow Lin's team has developed bacteria that can use coal as a nutrient and adsorb or degrade contaminants, improving methane recovery. Laboratory tests have shown these microbes to absorb contaminant metals, degrade dissolved organics, and break down coal to release trapped methane.
A new study suggests that massive methane releases could have led to the extinction of up to 95% of marine species and 70% of land species. The researcher estimates that 10,000 gigatons of dissolved methane could have been released, causing catastrophic conflagrations and flooding.
Researchers discover new method to produce acetic acid directly from methane, reducing production costs and environmental impact. The breakthrough uses a palladium-based catalyst, but further development is needed to achieve commercial viability.
Researchers have developed a portable CT scanner that enables real-time, on-site analysis of gas hydrates in core samples, revolutionizing the search for alternative energy sources. The innovative system uses a medical CT scanner and reduces its size to analyze hundreds of x-ray scans into one high-resolution image.
The alliance aims to provide advanced research and development services, field desorption measurements, and laboratory isotherm measurements for Canadian energy producers. ARC and TerraTek will collaborate on unconventional gas recovery and environmental expertise.
Researchers created diamond layers on steel by using a chromium nitride intermediate layer to prevent carbon penetration and graphite formation. The technique resulted in good-quality diamond layers on certain types of tool steel.
Researchers found that during a short-term global warming event, animals became smaller due to the effects of elevated carbon dioxide levels on plant growth. As climate returned to normal, animals regained their normal size.
Scientists have discovered new life in the deep ocean floor, specifically microbial methane makers that thrive on frozen methane hydrate. The team's research aims to develop realistic models of hydrate distribution and rate of formation in seafloor sediments.
Early Mars research suggests that the planet may have been too cold to melt water, contradicting Dr. James F. Kasting's theory of a greenhouse effect. However, Kasting proposes that methane-producing bacteria could have warmed the planet, allowing for the formation of features like Nanedi Vallis.
Researchers found that mid-season drainage of rice paddies in China led to significant reductions in methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. The study, which used NASA data and modeling, estimates that this practice saved around 5 million metric tons of methane per year.
Methane-based greenhouse and anti-greenhouse events contributed to the Archean climate's stability. The presence of methanogenic bacteria played a crucial role in these processes.
Advances in biotechnology are expected to boost immunity, improve lactose utilization, and relieve diarrhea in designer milks. Green cows are also being developed to reduce methane production and greenhouse gas emissions.
The Arctic and oceans hold mega-tons of methane hydrate, a cleanest and most abundant energy source. However, extracting and transporting it is challenging due to its gas form and expansion issues, as well as geo-political considerations and potential environmental impacts.
Scientists propose that a shift from carbon dioxide to methane in the greenhouse world may have triggered the emergence of complex life forms. Methane, which takes less energy to maintain than carbon dioxide, led to a drop in CO2 levels and the rise of oxygenic photosynthesis.
A study by Arlene M. Fiore and colleagues suggests that reducing manmade methane emissions could have a greater impact on global ozone levels than reducing nitrogen oxide emissions. This reduction in methane would also help decrease greenhouse warming and surface air pollution.
Researchers investigate active Archaean plate tectonics based on features in ultramafic blocks within oceanic crust remnants. Additionally, studies explore eukaryotic stromatolite builders' impact on Precambrian iron formations and atmospheric oxygenation.
Researchers at Cornell University are growing methanogens and other microbes in a laboratory using conditions similar to acidic wetlands. The goal is to understand how these microorganisms function and potentially apply this knowledge to bioengineering, such as bioremediation of contaminated sites or controlled methane production.
A new NASA-funded study shows that global warming in recent decades has been caused by carbon dioxide, with other greenhouse gases including methane, tropospheric ozone, and black carbon. The growth of emissions has slowed over the past 20 years, primarily due to the phase-out of ozone-depleting gases.
A study suggests that a massive release of frozen methane from ocean sediments may have warmed the prehistoric Earth around 55 million years ago. The researchers propose that similar scenarios could occur in the future if oceans warm substantially, highlighting the importance of considering multiple greenhouse gases beyond carbon dioxide.
A recent deep-sea drilling expedition off Japan has revealed that vast areas of the Pacific Ocean were low in oxygen for periods of up to a million years each. The expedition, which lasted two months, uncovered evidence of global warming events more common than previously thought, with some occurring every thousand years.
A research team at Penn State discovered that consortia of bacteria and archaeobacteria consume up to 80% of marine methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The findings indicate that these microorganisms play a crucial role in regulating the Earth's climate.
Researchers have discovered a way to link specific microbes to the oxidation of methane in anoxic marine sediments using molecular and stable isotope techniques. This partnership between archaea and sulfate-reducing bacteria extracts energy from methane, removing nearly 80% of the methane in marine sediments.
A team of scientists will explore the Gulf of Mexico's extreme environments, including brine pools and cold seeps, to better understand their role in global warming. They will collect samples and study microbial processes to gain insights into methane oxidation and nutrient concentrations.
Researchers investigate the link between ocean changes and hydrate stability using sediment cores and chemical markers. They aim to identify past environments with gas hydrates and explore how they affected the atmosphere in the past.
Geochemist Jeffrey Severinghaus will investigate the stability of past and future climates using a new technology for extracting air samples from ancient ice cores. His research aims to decipher how methane hydrates contribute to the atmospheric methane budget and potentially trigger catastrophic climate changes.
Researchers have found a way to convert oil to methane gas using specialized microorganisms living beneath the earth's surface. This breakthrough could lead to safer oil exploration and more efficient extraction methods.
Researchers found that using methane with a palladium-based catalyst can remove nearly 100% of nitric oxide from stack gases, a process considered more environmentally friendly and cost-effective than current methods. However, the sulfur dioxide present in some emissions interferes with the reaction.
A team of scientists, including INEEL microbiologist Mark Delwiche, drilled into the ocean floor off Japan in search of methane-producing microorganisms. The goal is to understand how fast these microorganisms produce methane and potentially unlock a new renewable energy source.
Researchers discovered strong evidence of a 55.5 million-year-old global warming event linked to a massive methane release. The 'latest Paleocene thermal maximum' led to the extinction or disappearance of deep-sea species and changed ecosystems. Further research is needed to understand this phenomenon.
A recent study by University of Illinois researchers suggests that including methane in emission-reduction strategies can significantly lower overall costs. The study found that methane can offset carbon dioxide reductions and reduce U.S. abatement costs by more than 25 percent compared to strategies involving carbon dioxide alone.