ISLSCP II GlobalView: Atmospheric Methane Concentrations

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — ABSTRACT: The GlobalView Methane (CH4) data product contains synchronized and smoothed time series of atmospheric CH4 concentrations at selected sites that were...

Modeling of methane bubbles released from large sea-floor area: Condition required for methane emission to the atmosphere

OpenAIRE

Yamamoto, A.; Yamanaka, Y.; Tajika, E.

2009-01-01

Massive methane release from sea-floor sediments due to decomposition of methane hydrate, and thermal decomposition of organic matter by volcanic outgassing, is a potential contributor to global warming. However, the degree of global warming has not been estimated due to uncertainty over the proportion of methane flux from the sea-floor to reach the atmosphere. Massive methane release from a large sea-floor area would result in methane-saturated seawater, thus some methane would reach the atm...

The Boston Methane Project: Mapping Surface Emissions to Inform Atmospheric Estimation of Urban Methane Flux

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, N.; Crosson, E.; Down, A.; Hutyra, L.; Jackson, R. B.; McKain, K.; Rella, C.; Raciti, S. M.; Wofsy, S. C.

2012-12-01

Lost and unaccounted natural gas can amount to over 6% of Massachusetts' total annual greenhouse gas inventory (expressed as equivalent CO2 tonnage). An unknown portion of this loss is due to natural gas leaks in pipeline distribution systems. The objective of the Boston Methane Project is to estimate the overall leak rate from natural gas systems in metropolitan Boston, and to compare this flux with fluxes from the other primary methane emissions sources. Companion talks at this meeting describe the atmospheric measurement and modeling framework, and chemical and isotopic tracers that can partition total atmospheric methane flux into natural gas and non-natural gas components. This talk focuses on estimation of surface emissions that inform the atmospheric modeling and partitioning. These surface emissions include over 3,300 pipeline natural gas leaks in Boston. For the state of Massachusetts as a whole, the amount of natural gas reported as lost and unaccounted for by utility companies was greater than estimated landfill emissions by an order of magnitude. Moreover, these landfill emissions were overwhelmingly located outside of metro Boston, while gas leaks are concentrated in exactly the opposite pattern, increasing from suburban Boston toward the urban core. Work is in progress to estimate spatial distribution of methane emissions from wetlands and sewer systems. We conclude with a description of how these spatial data sets will be combined and represented for application in atmospheric modeling.

ISLSCP II GlobalView: Atmospheric Methane Concentrations

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The GlobalView Methane (CH4) data product contains synchronized and smoothed time series of atmospheric CH4 concentrations at selected sites that were created using...

The Atmospheres of Directly Imaged Planets: Where Has All the Methane Gone?

Science.gov (United States)

Marley, Mark S.; Zahnle, Kevin

2014-01-01

Methane and ammonia both first appear at lower effective temperatures in brown dwarf atmospheres than equilibrium chemistry models would suggest. This has traditionally been understood as a consequence of vertical mixing timescales being shorter than chemical equilibration timescales in brown dwarf photospheres. Indeed the eddy diffusivity, a variable accounting for the vigor of vertical mixing, has become a standard part of the description of brown dwarf atmosphere models, along with Teff and log g. While some models have suggested that methane is less favored at lower gravity, the almost complete absence of methane in the atmospheres of directly imaged planets, such as those orbiting HR 8799, even at effective temperatures where methane is readily apparent in brown dwarf spectra, has been puzzling. To better understand the paucity of methane in low gravity atmospheres we have revisited the problem of methane chemistry and mixing. We employed a 1-D atmospheric chemistry code augmented with an updated and complete network of the chemical reactions that link CO to CH4. We find the methane abundance at altitudes at or above the effective photosphere is a strong function of surface gravity because higher g shifts the p-T structure to higher pressures (i.e., a given optical depth is proportional to p/g, a relation mitigated somewhat by pressure broadening). Thus quenching in more massive brown dwarfs occurs at a lower temperature and higher pressure, both favoring CH4. We predict that in the lowest mass young giant planets, methane will appear very late, at effective temperatures as low as 600 K rather than the 1200 K seen among field brown dwarfs. This methane deficiency has important implications for the interpretation of spectra as well as methane-based planetary companion searches, such as the NICI survey. The GPI and SPHERE surveys will test these ideas and probe atmospheric chemistry and composition in an entire new range of parameter space. A caveat is that

Interactions between nitrogenous fertilizers and methane cycling in wetland and upland soils

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bodelier, P.L.E.

2011-01-01

Recent dynamics and uncertainties in global methane budgets necessitate research of controls of sources and sinks of atmospheric methane. Production of methane by methanogenic archaea in wetlands is a major source while consumption by methane oxidizing bacteria in upland soils is a major sink.

Nitrogen as a regulatory factor of methane oxidation in soils and sediments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bodelier, P.L.E.; Laanbroek, H.J.

2004-01-01

The oxidation of methane by methane-oxidising microorganisms is an important link in the global methane budget. Oxic soils are a net sink while wetland soils are a net source of atmospheric methane. It has generally been accepted that the consumption of methane in upland as well as lowland systems

MERLIN: a Franco-German LIDAR space mission for atmospheric methane

Science.gov (United States)

Bousquet, P.; Ehret, G.; Pierangelo, C.; Marshall, J.; Bacour, C.; Chevallier, F.; Gibert, F.; Armante, R.; Crevoisier, C. D.; Edouart, D.; Esteve, F.; Julien, E.; Kiemle, C.; Alpers, M.; Millet, B.

2017-12-01

The Methane Remote Sensing Lidar Mission (MERLIN), currently in phase C, is a joint cooperation between France and Germany on the development, launch and operation of a space LIDAR dedicated to the retrieval of total weighted methane (CH4) atmospheric columns. Atmospheric methane is the second most potent anthropogenic greenhouse gas, contributing 20% to climate radiative forcing but also plying an important role in atmospheric chemistry as a precursor of tropospheric ozone and low-stratosphere water vapour. Its short lifetime ( 9 years) and the nature and variety of its anthropogenic sources also offer interesting mitigation options in regards to the 2° objective of the Paris agreement. For the first time, measurements of atmospheric composition will be performed from space thanks to an IPDA (Integrated Path Differential Absorption) LIDAR (Light Detecting And Ranging), with a precision (target ±27 ppb for a 50km aggregation along the trace) and accuracy (target recall the MERLIN objectives and mission characteristics. We also propose an end-to-end error analysis, from the causes of random and systematic errors of the instrument, of the platform and of the data treatment, to the error on methane emissions. To do so, we propose an OSSE analysis (observing system simulation experiment) to estimate the uncertainty reduction on methane emissions brought by MERLIN XCH4. The originality of our inversion system is to transfer both random and systematic errors from the observation space to the flux space, thus providing more realistic error reductions than usually provided in OSSE only using the random part of errors. Uncertainty reductions are presented using two different atmospheric transport models, TM3 and LMDZ, and compared with error reduction achieved with the GOSAT passive mission.

Conventional methanotrophs are responsible for atmospheric methane oxidation in paddy soils

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cai, Yuanfeng; Yan, Zheng; Bodelier, P.L.E.; Conrad, R.; Jia, Zhongjun

2016-01-01

Soils serve as the biological sink of the potent greenhouse gas methane with exceptionally low concentrations of ~1.84 p.p.m.v. in the atmosphere. The as-yet-uncultivated methane-consuming bacteria have long been proposed to be responsible for this ‘high-affinity’ methane oxidation (HAMO). Here we

Methane anomalies in seawaters of the Ragay Gulf, Philippines: methane cycling and contributions to atmospheric greenhouse gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heggie, D.T.; Evans, D.; Bishop, J.H.

1999-01-01

The vertical distribution of methane has been measured in the water column of a semi-enclosed basin, the Ragay Gulf, in the Philippines archipelago. The methane distribution is characterised by unusual mid-water and bottom-water plumes, between 80 and 100 m thick. The plumes are confined to water depths between about 100 and 220 m. where the temperature-depth (a proxy for seawater density) gradient is steepest. Plumes of high methane are 'trapped' within the main thermocline; these are local features, persisting over kilometre-scale distances. Geochemical and geological evidence suggests that the elevated methane concentrations are thermogenic in origin (although an oxidised biogenic origin cannot be ruled out for some of the methane anomalies), and have migrated from the sea floor into the overlying water. The mid and bottom-water methane maxima support fluxes of methane from depth into surface waters and, subsequently, from the oceans to the atmosphere. The average supersaturation of methane in the top 5 m of the sea, at nine locations, was 206±16.5%; range 178-237%. The average estimated sea-air flux was 101 nmole.cm -2 .y -1 and probably represents a minimum flux, because of low wind speeds of <10 knots. These fluxes, we suggest, are supported by seepage from the sea floor and represent naturally occurring fluxes of mostly fossil methane (in contrast to anthropogenic fossil methane), from the sea to the atmosphere. The estimated minimum fluxes of naturally occurring fossil methane are comparable to those biogenic fluxes measured elsewhere in the surface oceans, but are less than those naturally occurring methane inputs from sediments of the Barents Sea. Ragay Gulf fluxes are also less than anthropogenic fluxes measured in areas of petroleum exploration and development, such as the Texas and Louisiana, USA shelf areas

Impact of methane flow through deformable lake sediments on atmospheric release

Science.gov (United States)

Scandella, B.; Juanes, R.

2010-12-01

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that is generated geothermally and biologically in lake and ocean sediments. Free gas bubbles may escape oxidative traps and contribute more to the atmospheric source than dissolved methane, but the details of the methane release depend on the interactions between the multiple fluid phases and the deformable porous medium. We present a model and supporting laboratory experiments of methane release through “breathing” dynamic flow conduits that open in response to drops in the hydrostatic load on lake sediments, which has been validated against a high-resolution record of free gas flux and hydrostatic pressure in Upper Mystic Lake, MA. In contrast to previous linear elastic fracture mechanics analysis of gassy sediments, the evolution of gas transport in a deformable compliant sediment is presented within the framework of multiphase poroplasticity. Experiments address how strongly the mode and rate of gas flow, captured by our model, impacts the size of bubbles released into the water column. A bubble's size in turn determines how efficiently it transports methane to the atmosphere, and integrating this effect will be critical to improving estimates of the atmospheric methane source from lakes. Cross-sectional schematic of lake sediments showing two venting sites: one open at left and one closed at right. The vertical release of gas bubbles (red) at the open venting site creates a local pressure drop, which drives both bubble formation from the methane-rich pore water (higher concentrations shaded darker red) and lateral advection of dissolved methane (purple arrows). Even as bubbles in the open site escape, those at the closed site remain trapped.

Mars atmosphere. Mars methane detection and variability at Gale crater.

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, Christopher R; Mahaffy, Paul R; Atreya, Sushil K; Flesch, Gregory J; Mischna, Michael A; Meslin, Pierre-Yves; Farley, Kenneth A; Conrad, Pamela G; Christensen, Lance E; Pavlov, Alexander A; Martín-Torres, Javier; Zorzano, María-Paz; McConnochie, Timothy H; Owen, Tobias; Eigenbrode, Jennifer L; Glavin, Daniel P; Steele, Andrew; Malespin, Charles A; Archer, P Douglas; Sutter, Brad; Coll, Patrice; Freissinet, Caroline; McKay, Christopher P; Moores, John E; Schwenzer, Susanne P; Bridges, John C; Navarro-Gonzalez, Rafael; Gellert, Ralf; Lemmon, Mark T

2015-01-23

Reports of plumes or patches of methane in the martian atmosphere that vary over monthly time scales have defied explanation to date. From in situ measurements made over a 20-month period by the tunable laser spectrometer of the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite on Curiosity at Gale crater, we report detection of background levels of atmospheric methane of mean value 0.69 ± 0.25 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) at the 95% confidence interval (CI). This abundance is lower than model estimates of ultraviolet degradation of accreted interplanetary dust particles or carbonaceous chondrite material. Additionally, in four sequential measurements spanning a 60-sol period (where 1 sol is a martian day), we observed elevated levels of methane of 7.2 ± 2.1 ppbv (95% CI), implying that Mars is episodically producing methane from an additional unknown source. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Methane Flux to the Atmosphere from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Leak

Science.gov (United States)

Yvon-Lewis, S. A.; Hu, L.; Kessler, J. D.; Garcia Tigreros, F.; Chan, E. W.; Du, M.

2010-12-01

The unfortunate blowout at the BP Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil rig on April 20, which killed 11 people, was releasing oil and methane at an average rate of 58,000 barrels per day into the deep ocean, until it was recently capped resulting in a total of 4.9 million barrels released (National Incident Command Report, 2010). The methane component of the emission was estimated at 40-60%. As part of a NSF funded RAPID award, the sea-to-air flux of methane from the blowout at the Deepwater Horizon was measured on board the R/V Cape Hatteras from June 11-20 with substantial spatial and temporal resolution over the course of seven days in June 2010. Air and water concentrations were analyzed continuously from a flowing air line and a continuously flowing seawater equilibrator using cavity ring-down spectrometers (CRDS) and a gas chromatograph with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The results indicate a low flux of methane to the atmosphere (0.024 μmol m^{-2} d^{-1}) with atmospheric and seawater equilibrium mixing ratios averaging 1.86 ppm and 2.85 ppm, respectively within the survey area. Most of the methane emitted from the wellhead was not emitted to the atmosphere. It dissolved into the water column at depth.

Non-Detection of Methane in the Mars Atmosphere by the Curiosity Rover

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, Chris R.; Mahaffy, Paul R.; Atreya, Sushil K.; Flesch, Gregory J.; Farley, Kenneth A.

2014-01-01

By analogy with Earth, methane in the atmosphere of Mars is a potential signature of ongoing or past biological activity on the planet. During the last decade, Earth-based telescopic and Mars orbit remote sensing instruments have reported significant abundances of methane in the Martian atmosphere ranging from several to tens of parts-per-billion by volume (ppbv). Observations from Earth showed plumes of methane with variations on timescales much faster than expected and inconsistent with localized patches seen from orbit, prompting speculation of sources from sub-surface methanogen bacteria, geological water-rock reactions or infall from comets, micro-meteorites or interplanetary dust. From measurements on NASAs Curiosity Rover that landed near Gale Crater on 5th August 2012, we here report no definitive detection of methane in the near-surface Martian atmosphere. Our in situ measurements were made using the Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS) in the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite6 that made three separate searches on Martian sols 79, 81 and 106 after landing. The measured mean value of 0.39 plus or minus 1.4 ppbv corresponds to an upper limit for methane abundance of 2.7 ppbv at the 95 confidence level. This result is in disagreement with both the remote sensing spacecraft observations taken at lower sensitivity and the telescopic observations that relied on subtraction of a very large contribution from terrestrial methane in the intervening observation path. Since the expected lifetime of methane in the Martian atmosphere is hundreds of years, our results question earlier observations and set a low upper limit on the present day abundance, reducing the probability of significant current methanogenic microbial activity on Mars.

Carbon and hydrogen isotope composition and C-14 concentration in methane from sources and from the atmosphere: Implications for a global methane budget

Science.gov (United States)

Wahlen, Martin

1994-01-01

The topics covered include the following: biogenic methane studies; forest soil methane uptake; rice field methane sources; atmospheric measurements; stratospheric samples; Antarctica; California; and Germany.

Reduced biomass burning emissions reconcile conflicting estimates of the post-2006 atmospheric methane budget.

Science.gov (United States)

Worden, John R; Bloom, A Anthony; Pandey, Sudhanshu; Jiang, Zhe; Worden, Helen M; Walker, Thomas W; Houweling, Sander; Röckmann, Thomas

2017-12-20

Several viable but conflicting explanations have been proposed to explain the recent ~8 p.p.b. per year increase in atmospheric methane after 2006, equivalent to net emissions increase of ~25 Tg CH 4 per year. A concurrent increase in atmospheric ethane implicates a fossil source; a concurrent decrease in the heavy isotope content of methane points toward a biogenic source, while other studies propose a decrease in the chemical sink (OH). Here we show that biomass burning emissions of methane decreased by 3.7 (±1.4) Tg CH 4 per year from the 2001-2007 to the 2008-2014 time periods using satellite measurements of CO and CH 4 , nearly twice the decrease expected from prior estimates. After updating both the total and isotopic budgets for atmospheric methane with these revised biomass burning emissions (and assuming no change to the chemical sink), we find that fossil fuels contribute between 12-19 Tg CH 4 per year to the recent atmospheric methane increase, thus reconciling the isotopic- and ethane-based results.

An Atmosphere-based Method for Detection and Quantification of Methane Emisions from Natural Gas Infrastructure in an Urban Environment

Science.gov (United States)

McKain, K.; Down, A.; Raciti, S. M.; Budney, J.; Hutyra, L.; Floerchinger, C. R.; Herndon, S. C.; Nehrkorn, T.; Zahniser, M. S.; Sargent, M. R.; Jackson, R. B.; Phillips, N. G.; Wofsy, S. C.

2015-12-01

Methane emissions from the natural gas supply-chain are highly uncertain and can vary widely among components and processes. We present an atmosphere-based method for detecting and quantifying the area and time-averaged surface flux of methane from natural gas infrastructure, and its application to the case-study of Boston, Massachusetts. Continuous measurements of atmospheric methane at a network of stations, inside and outside the city, are used to quantify the atmospheric methane gradient due to emissions from the urban area. Simultaneous observations of atmospheric ethane, and data on the ethane and methane content of the pipeline gas flowing through the region, are used to trace the atmospheric methane enhancement to the natural gas source. An atmospheric transport model is used to quantitatively relate the observed methane enhancement to a surface flux from the whole urban region. We find that methane emissions from natural gas in the urban region over one year was equal to 2.7 ± 0.6 % of the natural gas delivered to the region. Our findings for Boston suggest natural-gas-consuming regions, generally, may be larger sources of methane to the atmosphere than is current estimated and represent areas of significant resource loss.

Response of the Black Sea methane budget to massive short-term submarine inputs of methane

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmale, O.; Haeckel, M.; McGinnis, D. F.

2011-01-01

A steady state box model was developed to estimate the methane input into the Black Sea water column at various water depths. Our model results reveal a total input of methane of 4.7 Tg yr(-1). The model predicts that the input of methane is largest at water depths between 600 and 700 m (7......% of the total input), suggesting that the dissociation of methane gas hydrates at water depths equivalent to their upper stability limit may represent an important source of methane into the water column. In addition we discuss the effects of massive short-term methane inputs (e. g. through eruptions of deep......-water mud volcanoes or submarine landslides at intermediate water depths) on the water column methane distribution and the resulting methane emission to the atmosphere. Our non-steady state simulations predict that these inputs will be effectively buffered by intense microbial methane consumption...

Reaction of methane with coal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, K.; Batts, B.D.; Wilson, M.A.; Gorbaty, M.L.; Maa, P.S.; Long, M.A.; He, S.J.X.; Attala, M.I. [Macquarie University, Macquarie, NSW (Australia). School of Chemistry

1997-10-01

A study of the reactivities of Australian coals and one American coal with methane or methane-hydrogen mixtures, in the range 350-400{degree}C and a range of pressures (6.0-8.3 MPa, cold) is reported. The effects of aluminophosphates (AIPO) or zeolite catalysts, with and without exchanged metals, on reactivity have also been examined. Yields of dichloromethane extractable material are increased by using a methane rather than a nitrogen atmosphere and different catalysts assist dissolution to various extends. It appears that surface exchanged catalysts are effective, but incorporating metals during AIPO lattice formation is detrimental. Aluminium phosphate catalysts are unstable to water produced during coal conversion, but are still able to increase extraction yields. For the American coal, under methane-hydrogen and a copper exchanged zeolite, 51.5% conversion was obtained, with a product selectivity close to that obtained under hydrogen alone, and with only 2% hydrogen consumption. The conversion under methane-hydrogen was also to that obtained under hydrogen alone, while a linear dependence of conversion on proportion of methane would predict a 43% conversion under methane-hydrogen. This illustrates a synergistic effect of the methane-hydrogen atmosphere for coal liquefaction using this catalyst systems. 31 refs., 5 figs., 7 tabs.

MERLIN: A French-German Space Lidar Mission Dedicated to Atmospheric Methane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerhard Ehret

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The MEthane Remote sensing Lidar missioN (MERLIN aims at demonstrating the spaceborne active measurement of atmospheric methane, a potent greenhouse gas, based on an Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA nadir-viewing LIght Detecting and Ranging (Lidar instrument. MERLIN is a joint French and German space mission, with a launch currently scheduled for the timeframe 2021/22. The German Space Agency (DLR is responsible for the payload, while the platform (MYRIADE Evolutions product line is developed by the French Space Agency (CNES. The main scientific objective of MERLIN is the delivery of weighted atmospheric columns of methane dry-air mole fractions for all latitudes throughout the year with systematic errors small enough (<3.7 ppb to significantly improve our knowledge of methane sources from global to regional scales, with emphasis on poorly accessible regions in the tropics and at high latitudes. This paper presents the MERLIN objectives, describes the methodology and the main characteristics of the payload and of the platform, and proposes a first assessment of the error budget and its translation into expected uncertainty reduction of methane surface emissions.

Carbon (14C,13C) and hydrogen (D) isotope measurements on atmospheric methane and its sources (sinks)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levin, I.; Doerr, H.

1991-07-01

Concentrations and isotope ratios ( 13 C/ 12 C and D/H) of atmospheric methane and methane from other sources were determined by gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy in specially prepared samples. The results were used for assessing the atmospheric methane inventory. (BBR) [de

Concentration and isotope composition of atmospheric methane in Walbrzych Coal District

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korus, A.; Necki, J.; Kotarba, M.

2002-01-01

The closure of hard coal mines in the Walbrzych Coal District led to the reconstruction of carboniferous groundwater horizon and migration of carbon dioxide and methane upward to the surface. Migration of methane is facilitated by systems of fractures, faults and by dense network of shafts, which still remain in connection with the surface. Measurement of the isotopic composition (δ 13 CH 4 ) of methane together with its concentration in atmosphere, yield useful information on the contribution of anthropogenic sources to regional budget of methane. A two component-mixing model was applied to distinguish anthropogenic source. The result of the study, current parameters of anthropogenic source are presented. (author)

Centennial evolution of the atmospheric methane budget: what do the carbon isotopes tell us?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. R. Lassey

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Little is known about how the methane source inventory and sinks have evolved over recent centuries. New and detailed records of methane mixing ratio and isotopic composition (12CH4, 13CH4 and 14CH4 from analyses of air trapped in polar ice and firn can enhance this knowledge. We use existing bottom-up constructions of the source history, including "EDGAR"-based constructions, as inputs to a model of the evolving global budget for methane and for its carbon isotope composition through the 20th century. By matching such budgets to atmospheric data, we examine the constraints imposed by isotope information on those budget evolutions. Reconciling both 12CH4 and 13CH4 budgets with EDGAR-based source histories requires a combination of: a greater proportion of emissions from biomass burning and/or of fossil methane than EDGAR constructions suggest; a greater contribution from natural such emissions than is commonly supposed; and/or a significant role for active chlorine or other highly-fractionating tropospheric sink as has been independently proposed. Examining a companion budget evolution for 14CH4 exposes uncertainties in inferring the fossil-methane source from atmospheric 14CH4 data. Specifically, methane evolution during the nuclear era is sensitive to the cycling dynamics of "bomb 14C" (originating from atmospheric weapons tests through the biosphere. In addition, since ca. 1970, direct production and release of 14CH4 from nuclear-power facilities is influential but poorly quantified. Atmospheric 14CH4 determinations in the nuclear era have the potential to better characterize both biospheric carbon cycling, from photosynthesis to methane synthesis, and the nuclear-power source.

Martian dust storms as a possible sink of atmospheric methane

Science.gov (United States)

Farrell, W. M.; Delory, G. T.; Atreya, S. K.

2006-11-01

Recent laboratory tests, analog studies and numerical simulations all suggest that Martian dust devils and larger dusty convective storms generate and maintain large-scale electric fields. Such expected E-fields will have the capability to create significant electron drift motion in the collisional gas and to form an extended high energy (u $\\gg$ kT) electron tail in the distribution. We demonstrate herein that these energetic electrons are capable of dissociating any trace CH4 in the ambient atmosphere thereby acting as an atmospheric sink of this important gas. We demonstrate that the methane destruction rate increases by a factor of 1012 as the dust storm E-fields, E, increase from 5 to 25 kV/m, resulting in an apparent decrease in methane stability from ~ 1010 sec to a value of ~1000 seconds. While destruction in dust storms is severe, the overall methane lifetime is expected to decrease only moderately due to recycling of products, heterogeneous effects from localized sinks, etc. We show further evidence that the electrical activity anticipated in Martian dust storms creates a new harsh electro-chemical environment.

MICROBIAL DIVERSITY AS A CONTROLLING FACTOR OF AEROBIC METHANE CONSUMPTION

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bodelier, P.L.E.; Meima-Franke, M.; Hordijk, C.A.; Steenbergh, A.K.

2010-01-01

Background. Aerobic methane oxidizing bacteria (MOB) play a vital role in the global climate by degrading the greenhouse gas CH4. The process of CH4 consumption is sensitive to disturbance leading to strong variability in CH4 emission from ecosystems. Mechanistic explanations for variability in CH4

Natural gas fugitive emissions rates constrained by global atmospheric methane and ethane.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwietzke, Stefan; Griffin, W Michael; Matthews, H Scott; Bruhwiler, Lori M P

2014-07-15

The amount of methane emissions released by the natural gas (NG) industry is a critical and uncertain value for various industry and policy decisions, such as for determining the climate implications of using NG over coal. Previous studies have estimated fugitive emissions rates (FER)--the fraction of produced NG (mainly methane and ethane) escaped to the atmosphere--between 1 and 9%. Most of these studies rely on few and outdated measurements, and some may represent only temporal/regional NG industry snapshots. This study estimates NG industry representative FER using global atmospheric methane and ethane measurements over three decades, and literature ranges of (i) tracer gas atmospheric lifetimes, (ii) non-NG source estimates, and (iii) fossil fuel fugitive gas hydrocarbon compositions. The modeling suggests an upper bound global average FER of 5% during 2006-2011, and a most likely FER of 2-4% since 2000, trending downward. These results do not account for highly uncertain natural hydrocarbon seepage, which could lower the FER. Further emissions reductions by the NG industry may be needed to ensure climate benefits over coal during the next few decades.

Subterranean karst environments as a global sink for atmospheric methane

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, Kevin D.; Drobniak, Agnieszka; Etiope, Giuseppe; Mastalerz, Maria; Sauer, Peter E.; Schimmelmann, Arndt

2018-03-01

The air in subterranean karst cavities is often depleted in methane (CH4) relative to the atmosphere. Karst is considered a potential sink for the atmospheric greenhouse gas CH4 because its subsurface drainage networks and solution-enlarged fractures facilitate atmospheric exchange. Karst landscapes cover about 14% of earth's continental surface, but observations of CH4 concentrations in cave air are limited to localized studies in Gibraltar, Spain, Indiana (USA), Vietnam, Australia, and by incomplete isotopic data. To test if karst is acting as a global CH4 sink, we measured the CH4 concentrations, δ13CCH4, and δ2HCH4 values of cave air from 33 caves in the USA and three caves in New Zealand. We also measured CO2 concentrations, δ13CCO2, and radon (Rn) concentrations to support CH4 data interpretation by assessing cave air residence times and mixing processes. Among these caves, 35 exhibited subatmospheric CH4 concentrations in at least one location compared to their local atmospheric backgrounds. CH4 concentrations, δ13CCH4, and δ2HCH4 values suggest that microbial methanotrophy within caves is the primary CH4 consumption mechanism. Only 5 locations from 3 caves showed elevated CH4 concentrations compared to the atmospheric background and could be ascribed to local CH4 sources from sewage and outgassing swamp water. Several associated δ13CCH4 and δ2HCH4 values point to carbonate reduction and acetate fermentation as biochemical pathways of limited methanogenesis in karst environments and suggest that these pathways occur in the environment over large spatial scales. Our data show that karst environments function as a global CH4 sink.

Methane emission and consumption at a North Sea gas seep (Tommeliten area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Niemann

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The Tommeliten seepage area is part of the Greater Ekofisk area, which is situated above the Tommeliten Delta salt diapir in the central North Sea (56°29.90' N, 2°59.80' E, Norwegian Block 1/9, 75 m water depth. Here, cracks in a buried marl horizon allow methane to migrate into overlying clay-silt and sandy sediments. Hydroacoustic sediment echosounding showed several venting spots coinciding with the apex of marl domes where methane is released into the water column and potentially to the atmosphere. In the vicinity of the gas seeps, sea floor observations showed small mats of giant sulphide-oxidizing bacteria above patches of black sediments as well as carbonate crusts, which are exposed 10 to 50 cm above seafloor forming small reefs. These Methane-Derived Authigenic Carbonates (MDACs contain 13C-depleted, archaeal lipids indicating previous gas seepage and AOM activity. High amounts of sn2-hydroxyarchaeol relative to archaeol and low abundances of biphytanes in the crusts give evidence that ANaerobic MEthane-oxidising archaea (ANME of the phylogenetic cluster ANME-2 were the potential mediators of Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane (AOM at the time of carbonate formation. Small pieces of MDACs were also found subsurface at about 1.7 m sediment depth, associated with the AOM zone. This zone is characterized by elevated AOM and Sulphate Reduction (SR rates, increased concentrations of 13C-depleted tetraether derived biphytanes, and specific bacterial Fatty Acids (FA. Further biomarker and 16S rDNA based analyses of this horizon give evidence that AOM is mediated by archaea belonging to the ANME-1b group and Sulphate Reducing Bacteria (SRB most likely belonging to the Seep-SRB1 cluster. The zone of active methane consumption was restricted to a distinct horizon of about 20 cm. Concentrations of 13C-depleted lipid biomarkers (e.g. 500 ng g-dw−1 biphythanes, 140 ng g-dw−1 fatty acid ai-C15:0, cell numbers (1.5×108 cells cm−3, AOM and SR

Isotope measurement techniques for atmospheric methane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowe, D.; White, J.; Levin, I.; Wahlen, M.; Miller, J.B.; Bergamaschi, P.

2002-01-01

Measurement techniques for the carbon isotopic composition of atmospheric methane (δ 13 C) are described in detail as applied in several leading institutions active in this field since many years. The standard techniques with offline sample preparation and subsequent measurement by dual inlet isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) are compared with continuous flow IRMS. The potential use of infrared absorption spectroscopy is briefly discussed. Details on quality control and calibration are provided. Basic analytical aspects for the measurement of other species, 2 H and 14 C, are also given. (author)

Production of nitrous oxide and consumption of methane by forest soils

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, M.; Wofsy, S. C.; Kaplan, W. A.; Mcelroy, M. B.; Goreau, T. J.

1983-01-01

Soils in an Amazonian rainforest are observed to release N2O at a rate larger than the global mean by about a factor of 20. Emissions from a New England hardwood forest are approximately 30 times smaller then Brazilian values. Atmospheric methane is consumed by soils in both systems. Tropical forests would provide a major source of atmospheric N2O if the Brazilian results are representative.

Multi-year Estimates of Methane Fluxes in Alaska from an Atmospheric Inverse Model

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, S. M.; Commane, R.; Chang, R. Y. W.; Miller, C. E.; Michalak, A. M.; Dinardo, S. J.; Dlugokencky, E. J.; Hartery, S.; Karion, A.; Lindaas, J.; Sweeney, C.; Wofsy, S. C.

2015-12-01

We estimate methane fluxes across Alaska over a multi-year period using observations from a three-year aircraft campaign, the Carbon Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment (CARVE). Existing estimates of methane from Alaska and other Arctic regions disagree in both magnitude and distribution, and before the CARVE campaign, atmospheric observations in the region were sparse. We combine these observations with an atmospheric particle trajectory model and a geostatistical inversion to estimate surface fluxes at the model grid scale. We first use this framework to estimate the spatial distribution of methane fluxes across the state. We find the largest fluxes in the south-east and North Slope regions of Alaska. This distribution is consistent with several estimates of wetland extent but contrasts with the distribution in most existing flux models. These flux models concentrate methane in warmer or more southerly regions of Alaska compared to the estimate presented here. This result suggests a discrepancy in how existing bottom-up models translate wetland area into methane fluxes across the state. We next use the inversion framework to explore inter-annual variability in regional-scale methane fluxes for 2012-2014. We examine the extent to which this variability correlates with weather or other environmental conditions. These results indicate the possible sensitivity of wetland fluxes to near-term variability in climate.

Heavy methanes (mass-20 and -21) as atmospheric tracers. A new research initiatives project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guthals, P.R.; Fowler, M.M.

1978-07-01

Products from the stable isotope production project (ICONS) at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) have had applications in a number of practical problems. Fully deuterated methanes, using 12 C and 13 C (mass-20 and -21, respectively), are detectable in the atmosphere at very low concentrations. The detection limits are due to an almost zero background and a distinct mass-spectrometric line. These properties, coupled with long lifetimes in the atmosphere, make the heavy methanes strong candidates for tracers of atmospheric transport and turbulence on regional to global scales. Three field tests have been conducted to assess the feasibility and to demonstrate the desirable properties of heavy methanes as atmospheric tracers. In the first test in May 1974, heavy methane released at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) was sampled and detected in several midwestern cities up to 2500 km downstream. These results agree with trajectories estimated from observed meteorological data. A second experiment, conducted in December 1975 at the Savannah River Plant, compared two heavy methanes with SF 6 and 85 Kr over a transport distance of 100 km. Increased detail in meteorological support data and ground-level sampling offered options of data interpretation unavailable in the first test. Qualitative patterns of tracer concentrations show good agreement among the four tracers and are verified by the meteorological inputs. The third experiment, performed in April 1977 at INEL, built on the experience of the previous two. Detailed ground-level sampling arrays at 3, 50, and 90 km from the release point were supplemented by aircraft and a crude sampling line across the Continental Divide at 300-km distance. Two new perfluorocarbon tracers were included for comparison

Further evaluation of wetland emission estimates from the JULES land surface model using SCIAMACHY and GOSAT atmospheric column methane measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Hayman, Garry; Comyn-Platt, Edward; McNorton, Joey; Chipperfield, Martyn; Gedney, Nicola

2016-04-01

The atmospheric concentration of methane began rising again in 2007 after a period of near-zero growth [1,2], with the largest increases observed over polar northern latitudes and the Southern Hemisphere in 2007 and in the tropics since then. The observed inter-annual variability in atmospheric methane concentrations and the associated changes in growth rates have variously been attributed to changes in different methane sources and sinks [2,3]. Wetlands are generally accepted as being the largest, but least well quantified, single natural source of CH4, with global emission estimates ranging from 142-284 Tg yr-1 [3]. The modelling of wetlands and their associated emissions of CH4 has become the subject of much current interest [4]. We have previously used the HadGEM2 chemistry-climate model to evaluate the wetland emission estimates derived using the UK community land surface model (JULES, the Joint UK Land Earth Simulator) against atmospheric observations of methane, including SCIAMACHY total methane columns [5] up to 2007. We have undertaken a series of new HadGEM2 runs using new JULES emission estimates extended in time to the end of 2012, thereby allowing comparison with both SCIAMACHY and GOSAT atmospheric column methane measurements. We will describe the results of these runs and the implications for methane wetland emissions. References [1] Rigby, M., et al.: Renewed growth of atmospheric methane. Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L22805, 2008; [2] Nisbet, E.G., et al.: Methane on the Rise-Again, Science 343, 493, 2014; [3] Kirschke, S., et al.,: Three decades of global methane sources and sinks, Nature Geosciences, 6, 813-823, 2013; [4] Melton, J. R., et al.: Present state of global wetland extent and wetland methane modelling: conclusions from a model inter-comparison project (WETCHIMP), Biogeosciences, 10, 753-788, 2013; [5] Hayman, G.D., et al.: Comparison of the HadGEM2 climate-chemistry model against in situ and SCIAMACHY atmospheric methane data, Atmos. Chem

Carbon and hydrogen isotope composition and C-14 concentration in methane from sources and from the atmosphere: Implications for a global methane budget. Final report, 1 January-30 June 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wahlen, M.

1994-03-01

The topics covered include the following: biogenic methane studies; forest soil methane uptake; rice field methane sources; atmospheric measurements; stratospheric samples; Antarctica; California; and Germany

Tropical rainforest methane consumption during the El Niño of 2015-16

Science.gov (United States)

Aronson, E. L.; Dierick, D.; Botthoff, J.; Swanson, A. C.; Allen, M. F.

2016-12-01

Tropical forests sequester up to 40% of the anthropogenic and natural carbon exchanged with the atmosphere. Even though soils are the largest pool of terrestrial carbon, relatively little is known about the methane consumption capacity of tropical forest soils. Under high water, low oxygen (anaerobic) conditions, carbon decomposed is respired as methane (CH4) by methanogen microorganisms. During dry seasons, deeper rainforest soils remain wet, but dry at the surface. Since molecule for molecule the global warming potential of CH4 is two orders of magnitude greater than CO2, the relative production and sequestration of CO2 versus CH4 in tropical rainforests has a large impact on global climate trends. In 2015-16, the globe experienced an unusually strong ENSO event, which impacted the tropics. Atypical ENSO climatic events such as this include drought in tropical forests of Central America. We hypothesized that ENSO controls much of the year-to-year variability in the global CH4 cycle, primarily by turning the tropical forest from a strong annual source for CH4 during the La Niña or normal rainy season, to a year-round sink for CH4 during El Niño events. Further, we hypothesized that during a strong El Niño event, the unusually dry conditions of the tropical rainy season lead to the methanotrophs in these soils consuming large amounts of CH4. In order to investigate these predictions, CH4 flux was measured in three campaigns in March, during peak ENSO impact, as well as May and July 2016, at the La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. Fluxes were measured in eight paired plots, each with four collars. The collars measure 20 cm diameter by 12 cm in length, inserted into the soil, with a collar height of around 8 cm, in February 2016, a month before the first field campaign. Air samples were injected into pre-evacuated exetainers, and analyzed by gas chromatograph within 72 h. We found an average CH4 sink of -0.018 mg m-2 h-1. This flux is roughly four times lower

Production of hydrogen via methane reforming using atmospheric pressure microwave plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jasinski, Mariusz; Dors, Miroslaw [Centre for Plasma and Laser Engineering, The Szewalski Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery, Polish Academy of Sciences, Fiszera 14, 80-952 Gdansk (Poland); Mizeraczyk, Jerzy [Centre for Plasma and Laser Engineering, The Szewalski Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery, Polish Academy of Sciences, Fiszera 14, 80-952 Gdansk (Poland); Department of Marine Electronics, Gdynia Maritime University, Morska 83, 81-225 Gdynia (Poland)

2008-06-15

In this paper, results of hydrogen production via methane reforming in the atmospheric pressure microwave plasma are presented. A waveguide-based nozzleless cylinder-type microwave plasma source (MPS) was used to convert methane into hydrogen. Important advantages of the presented waveguide-based nozzleless cylinder-type MPS are: stable operation in various gases (including air) at high flow rates, no need for a cooling system, and impedance matching. The plasma generation was stabilized by an additional swirled nitrogen flow (50 or 100 l min{sup -1}). The methane flow rate was up to 175 l min{sup -1}. The absorbed microwave power could be changed from 3000 to 5000 W. The hydrogen production rate and the corresponding energy efficiency in the presented methane reforming by the waveguide-based nozzleless cylinder-type MPS were up to 255 g[H{sub 2}] h{sup -1} and 85 g[H{sub 2}] kWh{sup -1}, respectively. These parameters are better than those typical of the conventional methods of hydrogen production (steam reforming of methane and water electrolysis). (author)

Atmospheric methane from organic carbon mobilization in sedimentary basins — The sleeping giant?

Science.gov (United States)

Kroeger, K. F.; di Primio, R.; Horsfield, B.

2011-08-01

The mass of organic carbon in sedimentary basins amounts to a staggering 10 16 t, dwarfing the mass contained in coal, oil, gas and all living systems by ten thousand-fold. The evolution of this giant mass during subsidence and uplift, via chemical, physical and biological processes, not only controls fossil energy resource occurrence worldwide, but also has the capacity for driving global climate: only a tiny change in the degree of leakage, particularly if focused through the hydrate cycle, can result in globally significant greenhouse gas emissions. To date, neither climate models nor atmospheric CO 2 budget estimates have quantitatively included methane from thermal or microbial cracking of sedimentary organic matter deep in sedimentary basins. Recent estimates of average low latitude Eocene surface temperatures beyond 30 °C require extreme levels of atmospheric CO 2. Methane degassing from sedimentary basins may be a mechanism to explain increases of atmospheric CO 2 to values as much as 20 times higher than pre-industrial values. Increased natural gas emission could have been set in motion either by global tectonic processes such as pulses of activity in the global alpine fold belt, leading to increased basin subsidence and maturation rates in the prolific Jurassic and Cretaceous organic-rich sediments, or by increased magmatic activity such as observed in the northern Atlantic around the Paleocene-Eocene boundary. Increased natural gas emission would have led to global warming that was accentuated by long lasting positive feedback effects through temperature transfer from the surface into sedimentary basins. Massive gas hydrate dissociation may have been an additional positive feedback factor during hyperthermals superimposed on long term warming, such as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). As geologic sources may have contributed over one third of global atmospheric methane in pre-industrial time, variability in methane flux from sedimentary

Methane Emissions from Natural Gas in the Urban Region of Boston, Massachusetts

Science.gov (United States)

McKain, K.; Down, A.; Raciti, S. M.; Budney, J.; Hutyra, L.; Floerchinger, C. R.; Herndon, S. C.; Zahniser, M. S.; Nehrkorn, T.; Jackson, R. B.; Phillips, N. G.; Wofsy, S. C.

2014-12-01

Methane emissions from the natural gas supply chain must be quantified to assess environmental impacts of natural gas and to develop emission reduction strategies. We report natural gas emission rates for one year in the urban region of Boston, MA, using an atmospheric measurement and modeling framework. Continuous methane observations from four stations are combined with a high-resolution transport model to quantify the regional average emission rate, 20.6 ± 1.7 (95 % CI) g CH4 m-2 yr-1. Simultaneous observations of atmospheric ethane, compared with the ethane to methane ratio in pipeline gas, demonstrate that natural gas accounted for 58 - 100 % of methane emissions, depending on season. Using government statistics and geospatial data on energy consumption, we estimate the fractional loss rate to the atmosphere from all downstream components of the natural gas system, including transmission, distribution, and end-use, was 2.9 ± 0.3 % in the Boston urban region, compared to 1.1 % inferred by the Massachusetts greenhouse gas inventory.

Seasonal Oxygen Dynamics in a Thermokarst Bog in Interior Alaska: Implications for Rates of Methane Oxidation

Science.gov (United States)

Neumann, R. B.; Moorberg, C.; Wong, A.; Waldrop, M. P.; Turetsky, M. R.

2015-12-01

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and wetlands represent the largest natural source of methane to the atmosphere. However, much of the methane generated in anoxic wetlands never gets emitted to the atmosphere; up to >90% of generated methane can get oxidized to carbon dioxide. Thus, oxidation is an important methane sink and changes in the rate of methane oxidation can affect wetland methane emissions. Most methane is aerobically oxidized at oxic-anoxic interfaces where rates of oxidation strongly depend on methane and oxygen concentrations. In wetlands, oxygen is often the limiting substrate. To improve understanding of belowground oxygen dynamics and its impact on methane oxidation, we deployed two planar optical oxygen sensors in a thermokarst bog in interior Alaska. Previous work at this site indicated that, similar to other sites, rates of methane oxidation decrease over the growing season. We used the sensors to track spatial and temporal patterns of oxygen concentrations over the growing season. We coupled these in-situ oxygen measurements with periodic oxygen injection experiments performed against the sensor to quantify belowground rates of oxygen consumption. We found that over the season, the thickness of the oxygenated water layer at the peatland surface decreased. Previous research has indicated that in sphagnum-dominated peatlands, like the one studied here, rates of methane oxidation are highest at or slightly below the water table. It is in these saturated but oxygenated locations that both methane and oxygen are available. Thus, a seasonal reduction in the thickness of the oxygenated water layer could restrict methane oxidation. The decrease in thickness of the oxygenated layer coincided with an increase in the rate of oxygen consumption during our oxygen injection experiments. The increase in oxygen consumption was not explained by temperature; we infer it was due to an increase in substrate availability for oxygen consuming reactions and

Background levels of methane in Mars’ atmosphere show strong seasonal variations

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, Christopher R.; Mahaffy, Paul R.; Atreya, Sushil K.; Moores, John E.; Flesch, Gregory J.; Malespin, Charles; McKay, Christopher P.; Martinez, German; Smith, Christina L.; Martin-Torres, Javier; Gomez-Elvira, Javier; Zorzano, Maria-Paz; Wong, Michael H.; Trainer, Melissa G.; Steele, Andrew; Archer, Doug; Sutter, Brad; Coll, Patrice J.; Freissinet, Caroline; Meslin, Pierre-Yves; Gough, Raina V.; House, Christopher H.; Pavlov, Alexander; Eigenbrode, Jennifer L.; Glavin, Daniel P.; Pearson, John C.; Keymeulen, Didier; Christensen, Lance E.; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Navarro-Gonzalez, Rafael; Pla-García, Jorge; Rafkin, Scot C. R.; Vicente-Retortillo, Álvaro; Kahanpää, Henrik; Viudez-Moreiras, Daniel; Smith, Michael D.; Harri, Ari-Matti; Genzer, Maria; Hassler, Donald M.; Lemmon, Mark; Crisp, Joy; Sander, Stanley P.; Zurek, Richard W.; Vasavada, Ashwin R.

2018-06-01

Variable levels of methane in the martian atmosphere have eluded explanation partly because the measurements are not repeatable in time or location. We report in situ measurements at Gale crater made over a 5-year period by the Tunable Laser Spectrometer on the Curiosity rover. The background levels of methane have a mean value 0.41 ± 0.16 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) (95% confidence interval) and exhibit a strong, repeatable seasonal variation (0.24 to 0.65 ppbv). This variation is greater than that predicted from either ultraviolet degradation of impact-delivered organics on the surface or from the annual surface pressure cycle. The large seasonal variation in the background and occurrences of higher temporary spikes (~7 ppbv) are consistent with small localized sources of methane released from martian surface or subsurface reservoirs.

Options for cost-effectively reducing atmospheric methane concentrations from anthropogenic biomass sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roos, K.F.; Jacobs, C.; Orlic, M.

1993-01-01

Methane is a major greenhouse gas, second only to carbon dioxide in its contribution to future global warming. Methane concentrations have more than doubled over the last two centuries and continue to rise annually. These increases are largely correlated with increasing human populations. Methane emissions from human related activities currently account for about 70 percent of annual emissions. Of these human related emissions, biomass sources account for about 75 percent and non-biomass sources about 25 percent. Because methane has a shorter lifetime than other major greenhouse gases, efforts to reduce methane emissions may fairly quickly be translated into lower atmospheric concentrations of methane and lower levels of radiative forcing. This fairly quick response would have the benefit of slowing the rate of climate change and hence allow natural ecosystems more time to adapt. Importantly, methane may be cost-effectively reduced from a number of biomass and non-biomass sources in the United States and worldwide. Methane is a valuable fuel, not just a waste by-product, and often systems may be reconfigured to reap the fuel value of the methane and more than justify the necessary expenditures. Such options for reducing methane emission from biomass sources exist for landfills, livestock manures, and ruminant livestock, and have been implemented to varying degrees in countries around the world. However, there are a number of barriers that hinder the more widespread use of technologies, including institutional, financial, regulatory, informational, and other barriers. This paper describes an array of available options that may be cost-effectively implemented to reduce methane emissions from biomass sources. This paper also discusses a number of programs that have been developed in the United States and internationally to promote the implementation of these methane reduction options and overcome existing barriers

A comparative study of carbon plasma emission in methane and argon atmospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Yousfi, H.; Abdelli-Messaci, S.; Ouamerali, O.; Dekhira, A.

2018-04-01

The interaction between laser produced plasma (LPP) and an ambient gas is largely investigated by Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES). The analysis of carbon plasma produced by an excimer KrF laser was performed under controlled atmospheres of methane and argon. For each ambient gas, the features of produced species have been highlighted. Using the time of flight (TOF) analysis, we have observed that the C and C2 exhibit a triple and a double peaks respectively in argon atmosphere in contrast to the methane atmosphere. The evolution of the first peaks of C and C2 follows the plasma expansion, whereas the second peaks move backward, undergoing reflected shocks. It was found that the translational temperature, obtained by Shifted Maxwell Boltzmann distribution function is strongly affected by the nature of ambient gas. The dissociation of CH4 by electronic impact presents the principal approach for explaining the emission of CH radical in reactive plasma. Some chemical reactions have been proposed in order to explain the formation process of molecular species.

Methane emission and oxygen consumption in the hydroelectric dam of Petit Saut in French Guyana

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galy-Lacaux, C.; Jambert, C.; Delmas, R.; Dumestre, J.F.; Labroue, L.; Cerdan, P.; Richard, S.

1996-01-01

Methane emissions from the hydroelectric dam of Petit-Saut, in French Guyana, were measured over a 20-months period. Since the beginning of the reservoir filling (January 1994), 300 km 2 of tropical forest have been submerged. Biological CH 4 oxidation, in the surface water of the lake and in the river downstream of the dam, lead to an intense 0 2 consumption. Emissions of CH 4 by diffusion into the atmosphere or by degassing of the water released into the river as well as the stock of dissolved gas in the lake, and their temporal dynamics, were studied. Maximum emissions of 700 t (CH 4 ) per day were attained in February 1994, corresponding to maximum dissolved CH 4 concentrations of 14 mg l -1 in the water column. Total emissions since January 1994, were calculated from the whole data set. (authors). 7 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

Airborne Measurements of Atmospheric Methane Using Pulsed Laser Transmitters

Science.gov (United States)

Numata, Kenji; Riris, Haris; Wu, Stewart; Gonzalez, Brayler; Rodriguez, Michael; Hasselbrack, William; Fahey, Molly; Yu, Anthony; Stephen, Mark; Mao, Jianping;

Methane fluxes and inventories in the accretionary prism of southwestern Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, L. H.; Chen, N. C.; Yang, T. F.; Hong, W. L.; Chen, H. W.; Chen, H. C.; Hu, C. Y.; Huang, Y. C.; Lin, S.; Su, C. C.; Liao, W. Z.; Sun, C. H.; Wang, P. L.; Yang, T.; Jiang, S. Y.; Liu, C. S.; Wang, Y.; Chung, S. H.

2017-12-01

Sediments distributed across marine and terrestrial realms represent the largest methane reservoir on Earth. The degassing of methane facilitated through either geological structures or perturbation would contribute significantly to global climatic fluctuation and elemental cycling. The exact fluxes and processes governing methane production, consumption and transport in a geological system remain largely unknown in part due to the limited coverage and access of samples. In this study, more than 200 sediment cores were collected from offshore and onshore southwestern Taiwan and analyzed for their gas and aqueous geochemistry. These data combined with published data and existing parameters of subduction system were used to calculate methane fluxes across different geochemical transitions and to develop scenarios of mass balance to constrain deep microbial and thermogenic methane production rates within the Taiwanese accretionary prism. The results showed that high methane fluxes tend to be associated with structural features, suggesting a strong structural control on methane transport. A significant portion of ascending methane (>50%) was consumed by anaerobic oxidation of methane at most sites. Gas compositions and isotopes revealed a transition from the predominance of microbial methane in the passive margin to thermogenic methane at the upper slope of the active margin and onshore mud volcanoes. Methane production and consumption at shallow depths were nearly offset with a small fraction of residual methane discharged into seawater or the atmosphere. The flux imbalance arose primarily from the deep microbial and thermogenic production and could be likely accounted for by the sequestration of methane into hydrate forms, and clay absorption.

Methane emissions from oceans, coasts, and freshwater habitats: New perspectives and feedbacks on climate

Science.gov (United States)

Hamdan, Leila J.; Wickland, Kimberly P.

2016-01-01

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, and atmospheric concentrations have risen 2.5 times since the beginning of the Industrial age. While much of this increase is attributed to anthropogenic sources, natural sources, which contribute between 35% and 50% of global methane emissions, are thought to have a role in the atmospheric methane increase, in part due to human influences. Methane emissions from many natural sources are sensitive to climate, and positive feedbacks from climate change and cultural eutrophication may promote increased emissions to the atmosphere. These natural sources include aquatic environments such as wetlands, freshwater lakes, streams and rivers, and estuarine, coastal, and marine systems. Furthermore, there are significant marine sediment stores of methane in the form of clathrates that are vulnerable to mobilization and release to the atmosphere from climate feedbacks, and subsurface thermogenic gas which in exceptional cases may be released following accidents and disasters (North Sea blowout and Deepwater Horizon Spill respectively). Understanding of natural sources, key processes, and controls on emission is continually evolving as new measurement and modeling capabilities develop, and different sources and processes are revealed. This special issue of Limnology and Oceanography gathers together diverse studies on methane production, consumption, and emissions from freshwater, estuarine, and marine systems, and provides a broad view of the current science on methane dynamics of aquatic ecosystems. Here, we provide a general overview of aquatic methane sources, their contribution to the global methane budget, and key uncertainties. We then briefly summarize the contributions to and highlights of this special issue.

Atmospheric methane removal by methane-oxidizing bacteria immobilized on porous building materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Ganendra, Giovanni; De Muynck, Willem; Ho, Adrian; Hoefman, Sven; De Vos, Paul; Boeckx, Pascal; Boon, Nico

2014-04-01

Biological treatment using methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) immobilized on six porous carrier materials have been used to mitigate methane emission. Experiments were performed with different MOB inoculated in building materials at high (~20 % (v/v)) and low (~100 ppmv) methane mixing ratios. Methylocystis parvus in autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) exhibited the highest methane removal rate at high (28.5 ± 3.8 μg CH₄ g⁻¹ building material h⁻¹) and low (1.7 ± 0.4 μg CH₄ g⁻¹ building material h⁻¹) methane mixing ratio. Due to the higher volume of pores with diameter >5 μm compared to other materials tested, AAC was able to adsorb more bacteria which might explain for the higher methane removal observed. The total methane and carbon dioxide-carbon in the headspace was decreased for 65.2 ± 10.9 % when M. parvus in Ytong was incubated for 100 h. This study showed that immobilized MOB on building materials could be used to remove methane from the air and also act as carbon sink.

Five pesticides decreased oxidation of atmospheric methane in a forest soil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Priemé, Anders; Ekelund, Flemming

2001-01-01

We found that five tested pesticides (the insecticide Dimethoat 40 EC, the herbicide Tolkan, and the fungicides Tilt 250 EC, Tilt Top, and Corbel) decreased the oxidation of atmospheric methane in slurries from a Danish forest soil. Dimethoat 40 EC was the most toxic with an EC50 value (i.......e. the concentration which caused a 50% inhibition of the methane oxidation) of 10 mg active ingredient (AI) l-1, followed by Tilt 250 EC (EC50=56 mg AI l-1). EC50 of Tilt Top was 350 AI mg l-1, the value of Tolkan was 410 mg AI l-1, while Corbel had a value of 1600 mg AI l-1. Dimethoat 40 EC and Tolkan inhibited...

Methane Feedback on Atmospheric Chemistry: Methods, Models, and Mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Holmes, Christopher D.

2018-04-01

The atmospheric methane (CH4) chemical feedback is a key process for understanding the behavior of atmospheric CH4 and its environmental impact. This work reviews how the feedback is defined and used, then examines the meteorological, chemical, and emission factors that control the feedback strength. Geographical and temporal variations in the feedback are described and explained by HOx (HOx = OH + HO2) production and partitioning. Different CH4 boundary conditions used by models, however, make no meaningful difference to the feedback calculation. The strength of the CH4 feedback depends on atmospheric composition, particularly the atmospheric CH4 burden, and is therefore not constant. Sensitivity tests show that the feedback depends very weakly on temperature, insolation, water vapor, and emissions of NO. While the feedback strength has likely remained within 10% of its present value over the industrial era and likely will over the twenty-first century, neglecting these changes biases our understanding of CH4 impacts. Most environmental consequences per kg of CH4 emissions, including its global warming potential (GWP), scale with the perturbation time, which may have grown as much as 40% over the industrial era and continues to rise.

Emission of Methane From Enteric Fermentation: National Contribution and Factors Affecting it in Livestock

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Budi Haryanto

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Changing in atmosphere condition is affected by the quantity of gases produced from all activities on the earth. Gases that have effects on global warming are CO2, N2O, H2O, and CH4 (methane. Among other sources of methane are enteric fermentation of organic material from ruminants and feces decomposition. Methane production from ruminants is affected by several factors such as breed/type of animal, feed quality, environmental temperature and physiological status of the animal. Energy as methane in ruminants may reach 2 to 15% of the total energy consumption. To reduce the emission of methane from ruminants, it is necessary to apply a strategic feeding system for more efficient utilization of feed.

The municipal wastes methanation, it is correct and desirable; La methanisation des OM, c'est bien et souhaitable

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verchin, J.C. [Club Biogaz, 75 - Paris (France); Deschaseaux, Ch.

2004-03-15

The biogas coming from methanation is a renewable energy source and then can take part in the fight against greenhouse effect. Two solutions exist to to fight against greenhouse effect: the control of energy consumption and the use of energies that do not emit carbon dioxide in atmosphere. There are three utilizations of methanation for different kind of waste: the methanation of biological wastes, then the methanation is associated to a composting; the methanation of residual domestic waste the composts of this type can be refused because of their content in heavy metals; the anaerobic pre treatment. (N.C.)

Methane emissions from natural wetlands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, J.L. [Georgia Univ., Athens, GA (United States); Burke, R.A. Jr. [Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, GA (United States). Environmental Research Lab.

1993-09-01

Analyses of air trapped in polar ice cores in conjunction with recent atmospheric measurements, indicate that the atmospheric methane concentration increased by about 250% during the past two or three hundred years (Rasmussen and Khalil, 1984). Because methane is a potent ``greenhouse`` gas, the increasing concentrations are expected to contribute to global warning (Dickinson and Cicerone, 1986). The timing of the methane increase suggests that it is related to the rapid growth of the human population and associated industrialization and agricultural development. The specific causes of the atmospheric methane concentration increase are not well known, but may relate to either increases in methane sources, decreases in the strengths of the sinks, or both.

Atmospheric methane removal by methane-oxidizing bacteria immobilized on porous building materials

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ganendra, G; De Muynck, W; Ho, A.; Hoefman, S.; De Vos, P.; Boeckx, P.; Boon, N.

2014-01-01

Biological treatment using methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) immobilized on six porous carrier materials have been used to mitigate methane emission. Experiments were performed with different MOB inoculated in building materials at high (similar to 20 % (v/v)) and low (similar to 100 ppmv) methane

Determination of the isotopic composition of atmospheric methane and its application in the Antarctic

Science.gov (United States)

Lowe, David C.; Brenninkmeijer, Carl A. M.; Tyler, Stanley C.; Dlugkencky, Edward J.

1991-01-01

A procedure for establishing the C-13/C-12 ratio and the C-14 abundance in the atmospheric methane is discussed. The method involves air sample collection, measurement of the methane mixing ratio by gas chromotography followed by quantitative conversion of the methane in the air samples to CO2 and H2O, and analysis of the resulting CO2 for the C-13/C-12 ratio by stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry and measurement of C-14 content by accelerator mass spectrometry. The carbon isotropic composition of methane in air collected at Baring Head, New Zealand, and in air collected on aircraft flights between New Zealand and Antarctica is determined by the method, and no gradient in the composition between Baring Head and the South Pole station is found. As the technique is refined, and more data is gathered, small seasonal and long-term variations in C-13 are expected to be resolved.

MethaneSat: Detecting Methane Emissions in the Barnett Shale Region

Science.gov (United States)

Propp, A. M.; Benmergui, J. S.; Turner, A. J.; Wofsy, S. C.

2017-12-01

In this study, we investigate the new information that will be provided by MethaneSat, a proposed satellite that will measure the total column dry-air mole fraction of methane at 1x1 km or 2x2 km spatial resolution with 0.1-0.2% random error. We run an atmospheric model to simulate MethaneSat's ability to characterize methane emissions from the Barnett Shale, a natural gas province in Texas. For comparison, we perform observation system simulation experiments (OSSEs) for MethaneSat, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric administration (NOAA) surface and aircraft network, and Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT). The results demonstrate the added benefit that MethaneSat would provide in our efforts to monitor and report methane emissions. We find that MethaneSat successfully quantifies total methane emissions in the region, as well as their spatial distribution and steep gradients. Under the same test conditions, both the NOAA network and GOSAT fail to capture this information. Furthermore, we find that the results for MethaneSat depend far less on the prior emission estimate than do those for the other observing systems, demonstrating the benefit of high sampling density. The results suggest that MethaneSat would be an incredibly useful tool for obtaining detailed methane emission information from oil and gas provinces around the world.

Project identification for methane reduction options

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kerr, T.

1996-12-31

This paper discusses efforts directed at reduction in emission of methane to the atmosphere. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, which on a 20 year timeframe may present a similar problem to carbon dioxide. In addition, methane causes additional problems in the form of smog and its longer atmospheric lifetime. The author discusses strategies for reducing methane emission from several major sources. This includes landfill methane recovery, coalbed methane recovery, livestock methane reduction - in the form of ruminant methane reduction and manure methane recovery. The author presents examples of projects which have implemented these ideas, the economics of the projects, and additional gains which come from the projects.

Recovery of Methane Consumption by Secondary Forests in the Amazon River Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, K. D.; Meredith, L. K.; Piccini, W.; Pedrinho, A.; Nüsslein, K.; Van Haren, J. L. M.; Camargo, P. B. D.; Mui, T. S.; Saleska, S. R.

2017-12-01

Methane (CH4) is a major greenhouse gas in Earth's atmosphere and its atmospheric global mole fraction has roughly doubled since the start of the industrial revolution. The tropics are thought to be a major CH4 emitter, with the Amazon River Basin estimated to contribute 7 % of the annual flux to the atmosphere. The Amazon has experienced extensive land use change during the past 30 years, but we lack an understanding of the qualitative and quantitative effects of land use change on CH4 flux from the Amazon and the associated reasons. To illuminate the factors controlling CH4 flux across land use gradients in the Amazon we measured the CH4 fluxes and will measure the associated stable isotopic composition from pastures, primary forests, and secondary forests, at Ariquemes (Western Amazon, more deforested), and Santarem (Eastern Amazon, less deforested), Brazil. The sites near Santarem were sampled in June of 2016 and the sites near Ariquemes were sampled in March and April of 2017, both at the end of the wet season. Little difference was observed between land use types in Santarem with each land use type slightly consuming atmospheric CH4. However, pasture fluxes at Ariquemes were higher (+520 μg-C m-2 hr-1) than in primary (0 μg-C m-2 hr-1) and secondary forests (-20 μg-C m-2 hr-1; p = 6*10-4). CH4 flux from individual Santarem sites was not correlated with environmental variables. CH4 flux from Airquemes was correlated with several parameters across all samples including soil temperature (p = 7*10-4), and soil humidity (p = 0.02). Despite the fact that pastures experienced higher soil temperatures than forest soils this appears to be a low predictor of CH4 flux from these environments as it was seen at both Santarem and Ariquemes. The analysis of the stable isotopic composition of CH4 from these chambers will aid in understanding the competing processes of microbial CH4 consumption and production in these soils and why pastures may become CH4 sources and

Remote Sensing and Sea-Truth Measurements of Methane Flux to the Atmosphere (HYFLUX project)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ian MacDonald

2011-05-31

, respectively. Based on the contemporaneous wind speeds at this site, contemporary estimates of the diffusive fluxes from the mixed layer to the atmosphere for methane, ethane, and propane are 26.5, 2.10, and 2.78 {micro}mol/m{sup 2}d, respectively. Continuous measurements of air and sea surface concentrations of methane were made to obtain high spatial and temporal resolution of the diffusive net sea-to-air fluxes. The atmospheric methane fluctuated between 1.70 ppm and 2.40 ppm during the entire cruise except for high concentrations (up to 4.01 ppm) sampled during the end of the occupation of GC600 and the transit between GC600 and GC185. Results from interpolations within the survey areas show the daily methane fluxes to the atmosphere at the three sites range from 0.744 to 300 mol d-1. Considering that the majority of seeps in the GOM are deep (>500 m), elevated CH{sub 4} concentrations in near-surface waters resulting from bubble-mediated CH4 transport in the water column are expected to be widespread in the Gulf of Mexico.

Simulation of comprehensive chemistry and atmospheric methane lifetime in the LGM with EMAC

Science.gov (United States)

Gromov, Sergey; Steil, Benedikt

2017-04-01

Past records of atmospheric methane (CH4) abundance/isotope composition may provide a substantial insight on C exchanges in the Earth System (ES). When simulated in the climate models, CH4 helps to identify climate parameters transitions via triggering of its different (natural) sources, with a proviso that its sinks are adequately represented in the model. The latter are still a matter of large uncertainty in the studies focussing on the interpretation of CH4 evolution throughout Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), judging the conferred span of tropospheric CH4 lifetime (λ) of 3-16 yr [1-4]. In this study, we attempt to: (i) deliver the most adequate estimate of the LGM atmospheric sink of CH4 in the EMAC AC-GCM [5] equipped with the comprehensive representation of atmospheric chemistry [6], (ii) reveal the ES and CH4 emission parameters that are most influential for λ and (iii) based on these findings, suggest a parameterisation for λ that may be consistently used in climate models. In pursuing (i) we have tuned the EMAC model for simulating LGM atmospheric chemistry state, including careful revisiting of the trace gases emissions from the biosphere, biomass burning/lightning source, etc. The latter affect the key simulated component bound with λ, viz. the abundance and distribution of the hydroxyl radicals (OH) which, upon reacting with CH4, constitute its main tropospheric sink. Our preliminary findings suggest that OH is buffered in the atmosphere in a similar fashion to preindustrial climate, which in line with the recent studies employing comprehensive chemistry mechanisms (e.g., [3]). The analysis in (ii) suggests that tropospheric λ values may be qualitatively described as a convolution of values typical for zonal domain with high and low photolytic recycling rates (i.e. tropics and extra-tropics), as in the latter a dependence of the zonal average λ value on the CH4 emission strength exists. We further use the extensive diagnostic in EMAC to infer the

BOREAS TGB-6 Soil Methane Oxidation and Production from NSA BP and Fen Sites

Science.gov (United States)

Deck, Bruce; Wahlen, Martin; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Conrad, Sara K. (Editor)

2000-01-01

The BOReal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study Trace Gas Biogeochemistry (BOREAS TGB-6) team collected soil methane measurements at several sites in the Southern Study Area (SSA) and Northern Study Area (NSA). This data set contains soil methane consumption (bacterial CH4 oxidation) and associated C-13 fractionation effects in samples that were collected at various sites in 1994 and 1996 from enclosures (chambers). Methane C-13 data in soil gas samples from the NSA Young Jack Pine (YJP) and Old Jack Pine (OJP) sites for 1994 and 1996 are also given. Additional data on the isotopic composition of methane (carbon and hydrogen isotopes) produced in the NSA beaver ponds and fen bog in 1993 and 1994 are given as well. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files.

Simulation of preindustrial atmospheric methane to constrain the global source strength of natural wetlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Houweling, S; Dentener, F; Lelieveld, J

2000-01-01

Previous attempts to quantify the global source strength of CH4 from natural wetlands have resulted in a range of 90-260 TE(CH4) yr(-1). This relatively uncertain estimate significantly limits our understanding of atmospheric methane. In this study we reduce this uncertainty by simulating

Dissolved methane in the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic Ocean, 1992-2009; sources and atmospheric flux

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenson, Thomas D.; Greinert, Jens; Coffin, Richard B.

2016-01-01

Methane concentration and isotopic composition was measured in ice-covered and ice-free waters of the Arctic Ocean during eleven surveys spanning the years of 1992-1995 and 2009. During ice-free periods, methane flux from the Beaufort shelf varies from 0.14 to 0.43 mg CH4 m-2 day-1. Maximum fluxes from localized areas of high methane concentration are up to 1.52 mg CH4 m-2 day-1. Seasonal buildup of methane under ice can produce short-term fluxes of methane from the Beaufort shelf that varies from 0.28 to 1.01 to mg CH4 m-2 day-1. Scaled-up estimates of minimum methane flux from the Beaufort Sea and pan-Arctic shelf for both ice-free and ice-covered periods range from 0.02 Tg CH4 yr-1 and 0.30 Tg CH4 yr-1 respectively to maximum fluxes of 0.18 Tg CH4 yr-1 and 2.2 Tg CH4 yr-1 respectively. A methane flux of 0.36 Tg CH4 yr-1from the deep Arctic Ocean was estimated using data from 1993-94. The flux can be as much as 2.35 Tg CH4 yr-1 estimated from maximum methane concentrations and wind speeds of 12 m/s, representing only 0.42% of the annual atmospheric methane budget of ~560 Tg CH4 yr-1. There were no significant changes in methane fluxes during the time period of this study. Microbial methane sources predominate with minor influxes from thermogenic methane offshore Prudhoe Bay and the Mackenzie River delta and may include methane from gas hydrate. Methane oxidation is locally important on the shelf and is a methane sink in the deep Arctic Ocean.

Coalbed Methane Outreach Program

Science.gov (United States)

Coalbed Methane Outreach Program, voluntary program seeking to reduce methane emissions from coal mining activities. CMOP promotes profitable recovery/use of coal mine methane (CMM), addressing barriers to using CMM instead of emitting it to atmosphere.

Contribution to atmospheric methane by natural seepages on the Bulgarian continental shelf

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dimitrov, L. [Bulgarian Academy of Science, Varna (Bulgaria). Inst. of Oceanology

2002-07-01

This paper provides an estimation of the atmospheric methane flux from Bulgarian Black Sea continental shelf. Potential gas source rocks include Holocene gas-charged sediments, Quaternary peats and sapropels, and deep-lying Palaeocene and Neogene clays, Cretaceous coals, and other sediments of late Jurassic to early Cretaceous age. These cover almost the whole continental shelf and slope and, together with irregularly developed seal rocks and widespread active and conducting faults, provide good conditions for upward gas migration. A total of 5 100 line kilometers of shallow seismic (boomer) and echo-sounder records acquired during the Institute of Oceanology's regional surveys, and several detailed side-scan sonar lines, have been reviewed for water column targets. Four hundred and eighty-two targets were assigned as gas seepage plumes. It is estimated that a total of 19,735 individual seeps exists on the open shelf. The number of seeps in coastal waters was estimated to be 6020; this is based on available public-domain data, specific research, and results of a specially made questionnaire which was distributed to a range of 'seamen'. More than 150 measurements of the seabed flux rates were made in the 'Golden sands' and 'Zelenka' seepage areas between 1976 and 1991. Indirect estimations of flux rates from video and photo materials, and a review of published data have also been undertaken. Based on these data, three types of seepages were identified as the most representative of Bulgarian coastal waters. These have flux rates of 0.4, 1.8, and 3.51/min. The contribution to atmospheric methane is calculated by multiplying the flux rates with the number of seepages, and entering corrections for methane concentration and the survival of gas bubbles as they ascend through seawater of the corresponding water depth. The estimation indicates that between 45,100,000 (0.03 Tg) and 210,650,000 m{sup 3} (0. 15 Tg) methane yr{sup -1} come

Light-Dependent Aerobic Methane Oxidation Reduces Methane Emissions from Seasonally Stratified Lakes

Science.gov (United States)

Oswald, Kirsten; Milucka, Jana; Brand, Andreas; Littmann, Sten; Wehrli, Bernhard; Kuypers, Marcel M. M.; Schubert, Carsten J.

2015-01-01

Lakes are a natural source of methane to the atmosphere and contribute significantly to total emissions compared to the oceans. Controls on methane emissions from lake surfaces, particularly biotic processes within anoxic hypolimnia, are only partially understood. Here we investigated biological methane oxidation in the water column of the seasonally stratified Lake Rotsee. A zone of methane oxidation extending from the oxic/anoxic interface into anoxic waters was identified by chemical profiling of oxygen, methane and δ13C of methane. Incubation experiments with 13C-methane yielded highest oxidation rates within the oxycline, and comparable rates were measured in anoxic waters. Despite predominantly anoxic conditions within the zone of methane oxidation, known groups of anaerobic methanotrophic archaea were conspicuously absent. Instead, aerobic gammaproteobacterial methanotrophs were identified as the active methane oxidizers. In addition, continuous oxidation and maximum rates always occurred under light conditions. These findings, along with the detection of chlorophyll a, suggest that aerobic methane oxidation is tightly coupled to light-dependent photosynthetic oxygen production both at the oxycline and in the anoxic bottom layer. It is likely that this interaction between oxygenic phototrophs and aerobic methanotrophs represents a widespread mechanism by which methane is oxidized in lake water, thus diminishing its release into the atmosphere. PMID:26193458

Could Methane Oxidation in Lakes Be Enhanced by Eutrophication?

Science.gov (United States)

Van Grinsven, S.; Villanueva, L.; Harrison, J.; S Sinninghe Damsté, J.

2017-12-01

Climate change and eutrophication both affect aquatic ecosystems. Eutrophication is caused by high nutrient inputs, leading to algal blooms, oxygen depletion and disturbances of the natural balances in aquatic systems. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas produced biologically by anaerobic degradation of organic matter, is often released from the sediments of lakes and marine systems to overlying water and the atmosphere. Methane oxidation, a microbial methane consumption process, can limit methane emission from lakes and reservoirs by 50-80%. Here, we studied methane oxidation in a seasonally stratified reservoir: Lacamas Lake in Washington, USA. We found this lake has a large summer storage capacity of methane in its deep water layer, with a very active microbial community capable of oxidizing exceptionally high amounts of methane. The natural presence of terminal electron acceptors is, however, too low to support these high potential rates. Addition of eutrophication-related nutrients such as nitrate and sulfate increased the methane removal rates by 4 to 7-fold. The microbial community was studied using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and preliminary results indicate the presence of a relatively unknown facultative anaerobic methane oxidizer of the genus Methylomonas, capable of using nitrate as an electron donor. Experiments in which anoxic and oxic conditions were rapidly interchanged showed this facultative anaerobic methane oxidizer has an impressive flexibility towards large, rapid changes in environmental conditions and this feature might be key to the unexpectedly high methane removal rates in eutrophied and anoxic watersheds.

Need for a marginal methodology in assessing natural gas system methane emissions in response to incremental consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Mac Kinnon, Michael; Heydarzadeh, Zahra; Doan, Quy; Ngo, Cuong; Reed, Jeff; Brouwer, Jacob

2018-05-17

Accurate quantification of methane emissions from the natural gas system is important for establishing greenhouse gas inventories and understanding cause and effect for reducing emissions. Current carbon intensity methods generally assume methane emissions are proportional to gas throughput so that increases in gas consumption yield linear increases in emitted methane. However, emissions sources are diverse and many are not proportional to throughput. Insights into the causal drivers of system methane emissions, and how system-wide changes affect such drivers are required. The development of a novel cause-based methodology to assess marginal methane emissions per unit of fuel consumed is introduced. The carbon intensities of technologies consuming natural gas are critical metrics currently used in policy decisions for reaching environmental goals. For example, the low-carbon fuel standard in California uses carbon intensity to determine incentives provided. Current methods generally assume methane emissions from the natural gas system are completely proportional to throughput. The proposed cause-based marginal emissions method will provide a better understanding of the actual drivers of emissions to support development of more effective mitigation measures. Additionally, increasing the accuracy of carbon intensity calculations supports the development of policies that can maximize the environmental benefits of alternative fuels, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Seasonal inter-relationships in atmospheric methane and companion delta13C values: effects of sinks and sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lassey, K. R.; Mikaloff Fletcher, S. E. (NIWA, Wellington (New Zealand)), e-mail: k.lassey@niwa.co.nz; Allan, W. (Allan Planning and Research Ltd., Petone (New Zealand))

2011-07-15

Recent developments in applying carbon-isotope information to better understand regional and global methane budgets infer a strong role by a highly fractionating seasonal sink such as atomic chlorine. Specifically, OH as the predominant seasonal sink cannot account for the 'phase ellipses' based on observed seasonal cycles of methane mixing ratio and isotope ratio, delta13C. Although a strong role by atomic chlorine is inferred empirically, open questions remain about the interplay between sources and sinks in determining the properties of phase ellipses. This paper employs a simple didactic model of the seasonal cycling of atmospheric methane to understand such interplay. We demonstrate that a single seasonal sink and seasonal source act together to imprint anti-phase seasonalities on atmospheric methane and delta13C, which lead to phase ellipses that collapse onto a straight line with slope characteristic of that sink. This explains empirical findings of these anti-phase relationships in three-dimensional modelling studies. We also demonstrate that multiple seasonal sinks acting with a seasonal source can yield surprising properties for the phase ellipse that not only explain some features of phase ellipses reported in modelling studies but also have the potential to explain marked inter-annual variation in phase ellipses based on observation

Estimation of Atmospheric Methane Surface Fluxes Using a Global 3-D Chemical Transport Model

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Y.; Prinn, R.

2003-12-01

Accurate determination of atmospheric methane surface fluxes is an important and challenging problem in global biogeochemical cycles. We use inverse modeling to estimate annual, seasonal, and interannual CH4 fluxes between 1996 and 2001. The fluxes include 7 time-varying seasonal (3 wetland, rice, and 3 biomass burning) and 3 steady aseasonal (animals/waste, coal, and gas) global processes. To simulate atmospheric methane, we use the 3-D chemical transport model MATCH driven by NCEP reanalyzed observed winds at a resolution of T42 ( ˜2.8° x 2.8° ) in the horizontal and 28 levels (1000 - 3 mb) in the vertical. By combining existing datasets of individual processes, we construct a reference emissions field that represents our prior guess of the total CH4 surface flux. For the methane sink, we use a prescribed, annually-repeating OH field scaled to fit methyl chloroform observations. MATCH is used to produce both the reference run from the reference emissions, and the time-dependent sensitivities that relate individual emission processes to observations. The observational data include CH4 time-series from ˜15 high-frequency (in-situ) and ˜50 low-frequency (flask) observing sites. Most of the high-frequency data, at a time resolution of 40-60 minutes, have not previously been used in global scale inversions. In the inversion, the high-frequency data generally have greater weight than the weekly flask data because they better define the observational monthly means. The Kalman Filter is used as the optimal inversion technique to solve for emissions between 1996-2001. At each step in the inversion, new monthly observations are utilized and new emissions estimates are produced. The optimized emissions represent deviations from the reference emissions that lead to a better fit to the observations. The seasonal processes are optimized for each month, and contain the methane seasonality and interannual variability. The aseasonal processes, which are less variable, are

Methane, where does it come from and what is its impact on climate?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andre, Jean-Claude; Boucher, Olivier; Bousquet, Philippe; Chanin, Marie-Lise; Chappellaz, Jerome; Tardieu, Bernard; Denegre, Jean; Beauvais, Muriel; Lefaudeux, Francois; Appert, Olivier; Desmarest, Patrice; Feillet, Pierre; Jarry, Bruno; Minster, Jean-Francois; Masson-Delmotte, Valerie; Dessus, Benjamin; Le Treut, Herve

2013-01-01

This report proposes a detailed presentation of knowledge on methane and on its role in the atmosphere. The first part addresses methane and the greenhouse effect: general considerations on methane in the atmosphere, radiative properties and importance with respect to the greenhouse effect, methane and future climate change. The second part proposes a presentation of methane sources and sinks. The third part addresses the study of methane fluxes: possible approaches to assess methane fluxes, measurement of atmospheric methane, the issue of atmospheric inversion (an approach to convert atmospheric observations into methane fluxes, lessons learned from atmospheric inversions, perspectives to improve knowledge on methane fluxes). The next chapters discuss the past, present and future evolution of methane in the atmosphere, discuss the carbon equivalence of methane (Kyoto protocol, policies of climate change, global warming power, role of methane, metrics, emission reduction), and comment the current perceivable evolutions, propose some methodological recommendations and actions to be implemented on the short term with no regret

Methane on Mars: Thermodynamic Equilibrium and Photochemical Calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, J. S.; Summers, M. E.; Ewell, M.

2010-01-01

The detection of methane (CH4) in the atmosphere of Mars by Mars Express and Earth-based spectroscopy is very surprising, very puzzling, and very intriguing. On Earth, about 90% of atmospheric ozone is produced by living systems. A major question concerning methane on Mars is its origin - biological or geological. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations indicated that methane cannot be produced by atmospheric chemical/photochemical reactions. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations for three gases, methane, ammonia (NH3) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in the Earth s atmosphere are summarized in Table 1. The calculations indicate that these three gases should not exist in the Earth s atmosphere. Yet they do, with methane, ammonia and nitrous oxide enhanced 139, 50 and 12 orders of magnitude above their calculated thermodynamic equilibrium concentration due to the impact of life! Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations have been performed for the same three gases in the atmosphere of Mars based on the assumed composition of the Mars atmosphere shown in Table 2. The calculated thermodynamic equilibrium concentrations of the same three gases in the atmosphere of Mars is shown in Table 3. Clearly, based on thermodynamic equilibrium calculations, methane should not be present in the atmosphere of Mars, but it is in concentrations approaching 30 ppbv from three distinct regions on Mars.

Methane oxidation coupled to oxygenic photosynthesis in anoxic waters

Science.gov (United States)

Milucka, Jana; Kirf, Mathias; Lu, Lu; Krupke, Andreas; Lam, Phyllis; Littmann, Sten; Kuypers, Marcel MM; Schubert, Carsten J

2015-01-01

Freshwater lakes represent large methane sources that, in contrast to the Ocean, significantly contribute to non-anthropogenic methane emissions to the atmosphere. Particularly mixed lakes are major methane emitters, while permanently and seasonally stratified lakes with anoxic bottom waters are often characterized by strongly reduced methane emissions. The causes for this reduced methane flux from anoxic lake waters are not fully understood. Here we identified the microorganisms and processes responsible for the near complete consumption of methane in the anoxic waters of a permanently stratified lake, Lago di Cadagno. Interestingly, known anaerobic methanotrophs could not be detected in these waters. Instead, we found abundant gamma-proteobacterial aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria active in the anoxic waters. In vitro incubations revealed that, among all the tested potential electron acceptors, only the addition of oxygen enhanced the rates of methane oxidation. An equally pronounced stimulation was also observed when the anoxic water samples were incubated in the light. Our combined results from molecular, biogeochemical and single-cell analyses indicate that methane removal at the anoxic chemocline of Lago di Cadagno is due to true aerobic oxidation of methane fuelled by in situ oxygen production by photosynthetic algae. A similar mechanism could be active in seasonally stratified lakes and marine basins such as the Black Sea, where light penetrates to the anoxic chemocline. Given the widespread occurrence of seasonally stratified anoxic lakes, aerobic methane oxidation coupled to oxygenic photosynthesis might have an important but so far neglected role in methane emissions from lakes. PMID:25679533

A Compact, Low Resource Instrument to Measure Atmospheric Methane and Carbon Dioxide From Orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Rafkin, Scot; Davis, Michael; Varner, Ruth; Basu, Sourish; Bruhwiler, Lori; Luspay-Kuti, Adrienn; Mandt, Kathy; Roming, Pete; Soto, Alejandro; Tapley, Mark

2017-04-01

Methane is the second most important radiatively active trace gas forcing anthropogenic climate change. Methane has ˜28 times more warming potential than carbon dioxide on a 100-year time horizon, and the background atmospheric concentration of methane has increased by more than 150% compared to pre-industrial levels. The increase in methane abundance is driven by a combination of direct human activity, such as fossil fuel extraction and agriculture, and natural feedback processes that respond to human-induced climate change, such as increased wetland production. Accurate accounting of the exchange between the atmosphere and the natural and anthropogenic methane reservoirs is necessary to predict how methane concentration will increase going forward, how that increase will modulate the natural methane cycle, and how effective policy decisions might be at mitigating methane-induced climate change. Monitoring and quantifying methane source intensity and spatial-temporal variability has proven challenging; there are unresolved and scientifically significant discrepancies between flux estimates based on limited surface measurements (the so-called "bottom-up" method) and the values derived from limited, remotely-sensed estimates from orbit and modeling (the so-called "top-down" method). A major source of the discrepancy between bottom-up and top-down estimates is likely a result of insufficient accuracy and resolution of space-based instrumentation. Methane releases, especially anthropogenic sources, are often at kilometer-scale (or less), whereas past remote sensing instruments have at least an order of magnitude greater footprint areas. Natural sources may be larger in areal extent, but the enhancement over background levels can be just a few percent, which demands high spectral resolution and signal-to-noise ratios from monitoring instrumentation. In response to the need for higher performance space-based methane monitoring, we have developed a novel, compact, low

Trace Metal Requirements for Microbial Enzymes Involved in the Production and Consumption of Methane and Nitrous Oxide

Science.gov (United States)

Glass, Jennifer B.; Orphan, Victoria J.

2011-01-01

Fluxes of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere are heavily influenced by microbiological activity. Microbial enzymes involved in the production and consumption of greenhouse gases often contain metal cofactors. While extensive research has examined the influence of Fe bioavailability on microbial CO2 cycling, fewer studies have explored metal requirements for microbial production and consumption of the second- and third-most abundant greenhouse gases, methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). Here we review the current state of biochemical, physiological, and environmental research on transition metal requirements for microbial CH4 and N2O cycling. Methanogenic archaea require large amounts of Fe, Ni, and Co (and some Mo/W and Zn). Low bioavailability of Fe, Ni, and Co limits methanogenesis in pure and mixed cultures and environmental studies. Anaerobic methane oxidation by anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (ANME) likely occurs via reverse methanogenesis since ANME possess most of the enzymes in the methanogenic pathway. Aerobic CH4 oxidation uses Cu or Fe for the first step depending on Cu availability, and additional Fe, Cu, and Mo for later steps. N2O production via classical anaerobic denitrification is primarily Fe-based, whereas aerobic pathways (nitrifier denitrification and archaeal ammonia oxidation) require Cu in addition to, or possibly in place of, Fe. Genes encoding the Cu-containing N2O reductase, the only known enzyme capable of microbial N2O conversion to N2, have only been found in classical denitrifiers. Accumulation of N2O due to low Cu has been observed in pure cultures and a lake ecosystem, but not in marine systems. Future research is needed on metalloenzymes involved in the production of N2O by enrichment cultures of ammonia oxidizing archaea, biological mechanisms for scavenging scarce metals, and possible links between metal bioavailability and greenhouse gas fluxes in anaerobic environments where metals may be limiting due to sulfide

Detecting Methane From Leaking Pipelines and as Greenhouse Gas in the Atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Riris, Haris; Numata, Kenji; Li, Steven; Wu, Stewart; Ramanathan, Anand; Dawsey, Martha

2012-01-01

Laser remote sensing measurements of trace gases from orbit can provide unprecedented information about important planetary science and answer critical questions about planetary atmospheres. Methane (CH4) is the second most important anthropogenically produced greenhouse gas. Though its atmospheric abundance is much less than that of CO2 (1.78 ppm vs. 380 ppm), it has much larger greenhouse heating potential. CH4 also contributes to pollution in the lower atmosphere through chemical reactions, leading to ozone production. Atmospheric CH4 concentrations have been increasing as a result of increased fossil fuel production, rice farming, livestock, and landfills. Natural sources of CH4 include wetlands, wild fires, and termites, and perhaps other unknown sources. Important sinks for CH4 include non-saturated soils and oxidation by hydroxyl radicals in the atmosphere. Remotely measuring CH4 and other biogenic molecules (such as ethane and formaldehyde) on Mars also has important implications on the existence of life on Mars. Measuring CH4 at very low (ppb) concentrations from orbit will dramatically improve the sensitivity and spatial resolution in the search for CH4 vents and sub-surface life on other planets. A capability has been developed using lasers and spectroscopic detection techniques for the remote measurements of trace gases in open paths. Detection of CH4, CO2, H2O, and CO in absorption cells and in open paths, both in the mid- IR and near-IR region, has been demonstrated using an Optical Parametric Amplifier laser transmitter developed at GSFC. With this transmitter, it would be possible to develop a remote sensing methane instrument. CH4 detection also has very important commercial applications. Pipeline leak detection from an aircraft or a helicopter can significantly reduce cost, response time, and pinpoint the location. The main advantage is the ability to rapidly detect CH4 leaks remotely. This is extremely important for the petrochemical industry

Are termite mounds biofilters for methane? - Challenges and new approaches to quantify methane oxidation in termite mounds

Science.gov (United States)

Nauer, Philipp A.; Hutley, Lindsay B.; Bristow, Mila; Arndt, Stefan K.

2015-04-01

Methane emissions from termites contribute around 3% to global methane in the atmosphere, although the total source estimate for termites is the most uncertain among all sources. In tropical regions, the relative source contribution of termites can be far higher due to the high biomass and relative importance of termites in plant decomposition. Past research focused on net emission measurements and their variability, but little is known about underlying processes governing these emissions. In particular, microbial oxidation of methane (MOX) within termite mounds has rarely been investigated. In well-studied ecosystems featuring an oxic matrix above an anoxic methane-producing habitat (e.g. landfills or sediments), the fraction of oxidized methane (fox) can reach up to 90% of gross production. However, conventional mass-balance approaches to apportion production and consumption processes can be challenging to apply in the complex-structured and almost inaccessible environment of a termite mound. In effect, all field-based data on termite-mound MOX is based on one study that measured isotopic shifts in produced and emitted methane. In this study a closed-system isotope fractionation model was applied and estimated fox ranged from 10% to almost 100%. However, it is shown here that by applying an open-system isotope-pool model, the measured isotopic shifts can also be explained by physical transport of methane alone. Different field-based methods to quantify MOX in termite mounds are proposed which do not rely on assumptions of physical gas transport. A simple approach is the use of specific inhibitors for MOX, e.g. difluoromethane (CH2F2), combined with chamber-based flux measurements before and after their application. Data is presented on the suitability of different inhibitors and first results of their application in the field. Alternatively, gas-tracer methods allow the quantification of methane oxidation and reaction kinetics without knowledge of physical gas

Linking activity, composition and seasonal dynamics of atmospheric methane oxidizers in a meadow soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Shrestha, Pravin Malla; Kammann, Claudia; Lenhart, Katharina; Dam, Bomba; Liesack, Werner

2012-06-01

Microbial oxidation is the only biological sink for atmospheric methane. We assessed seasonal changes in atmospheric methane oxidation and the underlying methanotrophic communities in grassland near Giessen (Germany), along a soil moisture gradient. Soil samples were taken from the surface layer (0-10 cm) of three sites in August 2007, November 2007, February 2008 and May 2008. The sites showed seasonal differences in hydrological parameters. Net uptake rates varied seasonally between 0 and 70 μg CH(4) m(-2) h(-1). Greatest uptake rates coincided with lowest soil moisture in spring and summer. Over all sites and seasons, the methanotrophic communities were dominated by uncultivated methanotrophs. These formed a monophyletic cluster defined by the RA14, MHP and JR1 clades, referred to as upland soil cluster alphaproteobacteria (USCα)-like group. The copy numbers of pmoA genes ranged between 3.8 × 10(5)-1.9 × 10(6) copies g(-1) of soil. Temperature was positively correlated with CH(4) uptake rates (P50 vol% and primarily related to members of the MHP clade.

Enhanced CO2 uptake at a shallow Arctic Ocean seep field overwhelms the positive warming potential of emitted methane.

Science.gov (United States)

Pohlman, John W; Greinert, Jens; Ruppel, Carolyn; Silyakova, Anna; Vielstädte, Lisa; Casso, Michael; Mienert, Jürgen; Bünz, Stefan

2017-05-23

Continued warming of the Arctic Ocean in coming decades is projected to trigger the release of teragrams (1 Tg = 10 6 tons) of methane from thawing subsea permafrost on shallow continental shelves and dissociation of methane hydrate on upper continental slopes. On the shallow shelves (shallow ebullitive methane seep field on the Svalbard margin reveal atmospheric CO 2 uptake rates (-33,300 ± 7,900 μmol m -2 ⋅d -1 ) twice that of surrounding waters and ∼1,900 times greater than the diffusive sea-air methane efflux (17.3 ± 4.8 μmol m -2 ⋅d -1 ). The negative radiative forcing expected from this CO 2 uptake is up to 231 times greater than the positive radiative forcing from the methane emissions. Surface water characteristics (e.g., high dissolved oxygen, high pH, and enrichment of 13 C in CO 2 ) indicate that upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water from near the seafloor accompanies methane emissions and stimulates CO 2 consumption by photosynthesizing phytoplankton. These findings challenge the widely held perception that areas characterized by shallow-water methane seeps and/or strongly elevated sea-air methane flux always increase the global atmospheric greenhouse gas burden.

Methane monitoring from space

Science.gov (United States)

Stephan, C.; Alpers, M.; Millet, B.; Ehret, G.; Flamant, P.

2017-11-01

Methane is one of the strongest anthropogenic greenhouse gases. It contributes by its radiative forcing significantly to the global warming. For a better understanding of climate changes, it is necessary to apply precise space-based measurement techniques in order to obtain a global view on the complex processes that control the methane concentration in the atmosphere. The MERLIN mission is a joint French-German cooperation, on a micro satellite mission for space-based measurement of spatial and temporal gradients of atmospheric methane columns on a global scale. MERLIN will be the first Integrated Path Differential Absorption LIDAR for greenhouse gas monitoring from space. In contrast to passive methane missions, the LIDAR instrument allows measurements at alllatitudes, all-seasons and during night.

Effects of zilpaterol hydrochloride on methane production, total body oxygen consumption, and blood metabolites in finishing beef steers

Science.gov (United States)

An indirect calorimetry experiment was conducted to determine the effects of feeding zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) for 20 d on total body oxygen consumption, respiratory quotient, methane production, and blood metabolites in finishing beef steers. Sixteen Angus steers (initial BW = 555 ± 12.7 kg) w...

Environmental impact of coal mine methane emissions and responding strategies in China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheng, Y.P.; Wang, L.; Zhang, X.L. [China University of Mining & Technology, Xuzhou (China)

2011-01-15

The impact on global climate change from coal mine methane emissions in China has been drawing attention as coal production has powered its economic development. Data on coal mine methane emissions from the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety of China has been analyzed. It is estimated that the methane emission from coal mining in China reached 20 billions of cubic meters in 2008, most of which comes from state-owned coal mines with high-gas content. China releases six times as much of methane from coal mines as compared to the United States. However, Chinese methane emission from coal production accounts for only a very small proportion on the environmental impact when compared to emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel consumption. The Chinese government has shown environmental awareness and resolution on the mitigation and utilization of coal mine methane emissions. Measures have been taken to implement the programs of mitigation and utilization of coal mine methane, and at the same time, to ensure mining safety. Nearly 7.2 billions of cubic meters of methane were drained from the coal mines, and 32% of it was utilized in 2008. The slow advancement of technologies for the drainage and utilization of low-concentration methane from ventilation air hinders the progress of mitigation of atmospheric methane and the utilization of coal mine methane emissions.

Anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification is the dominant methane sink in a deep lake

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deutzmann, Joerg S.; Stief, Peter; Brandes, Josephin

2014-01-01

Anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification, also known as “nitrate/nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation” (n-damo), was discovered in 2006. Since then, only a few studies have identified this process and the associated microorganisms in natural environments. In aquatic sediments......, the close proximity of oxygen- and nitrate-consumption zones can mask n-damo as aerobic methane oxidation. We therefore investigated the vertical distribution and the abundance of denitrifying methanotrophs related to Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera with cultivation-independent molecular techniques...... in the sediments of Lake Constance. Additionally, the vertical distribution of methane oxidation and nitrate consumption zones was inferred from high-resolution microsensor profiles in undisturbed sediment cores. M. oxyfera-like bacteria were virtually absent at shallow-water sites (littoral sediment) and were...

ISLSCP II Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Consumption by Continental Erosion

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — ABSTRACT: The Continental Atmospheric CO2 Consumption data set represents gridded estimates for the riverine export of carbon and of sediments based on empirical...

The MIS 11 – MIS 1 analogy, southern European vegetation, atmospheric methane and the

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. C. Tzedakis

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Marine Isotope Stage (MIS 11 has been considered a potential analogue for the Holocene and its future evolution. However, a dichotomy has emerged over the precise chronological alignment of the two intervals, with one solution favouring a synchronization of the precession signal and another of the obliquity signal. The two schemes lead to different implications over the natural length of the current interglacial and the underlying causes of the evolution of greenhouse gas concentrations. Here, the close coupling observed between changes in southern European tree populations and atmospheric methane concentrations in previous interglacials is used to evaluate the natural vs. anthropogenic contribution to Holocene methane emissions and assess the two alignment schemes. Comparison of the vegetation trends in MIS 1 and MIS 11 favours a precessional alignment, which would suggest that the Holocene is nearing the end of its natural course. This, combined with the divergence between methane concentrations and temperate tree populations after 5 kyr BP, provides some support for the notion that the Holocene methane trend may be anomalous compared to previous interglacials. In contrast, comparison of MIS 1 with MIS 19, which may represent a closer astronomical analogue than MIS 11, leads to substantially different conclusions on the projected natural duration of the current interglacial and the extent of the anthropogenic contribution to the Holocene methane budget. As answers vary with the choice of analogue, resolution of these issues using past interglacials remains elusive.

Methane oxidation and methane fluxes in the ocean surface layer and deep anoxic waters

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, B. B.; Kilpatrick, K. A.; Novelli, P. C.; Scranton, M. I.

1987-01-01

Measured biological oxidation rates of methane in near-surface waters of the Cariaco Basin are compared with the diffusional fluxes computed from concentration gradients of methane in the surface layer. Methane fluxes and oxidation rates were investigated in surface waters, at the oxic/anoxic interface, and in deep anoxic waters. It is shown that the surface-waters oxidation of methane is a mechanism which modulates the flux of methane from marine waters to the atmosphere.

Abiotic Production of Methane in Terrestrial Planets

Science.gov (United States)

Guzmán-Marmolejo, Andrés; Escobar-Briones, Elva

2013-01-01

Abstract On Earth, methane is produced mainly by life, and it has been proposed that, under certain conditions, methane detected in an exoplanetary spectrum may be considered a biosignature. Here, we estimate how much methane may be produced in hydrothermal vent systems by serpentinization, its main geological source, using the kinetic properties of the main reactions involved in methane production by serpentinization. Hydrogen production by serpentinization was calculated as a function of the available FeO in the crust, given the current spreading rates. Carbon dioxide is the limiting reactant for methane formation because it is highly depleted in aqueous form in hydrothermal vent systems. We estimated maximum CH4 surface fluxes of 6.8×108 and 1.3×109 molecules cm−2 s−1 for rocky planets with 1 and 5 M⊕, respectively. Using a 1-D photochemical model, we simulated atmospheres with volume mixing ratios of 0.03 and 0.1 CO2 to calculate atmospheric methane concentrations for the maximum production of this compound by serpentinization. The resulting abundances were 2.5 and 2.1 ppmv for 1 M⊕ planets and 4.1 and 3.7 ppmv for 5 M⊕ planets. Therefore, low atmospheric concentrations of methane may be produced by serpentinization. For habitable planets around Sun-like stars with N2-CO2 atmospheres, methane concentrations larger than 10 ppmv may indicate the presence of life. Key Words: Serpentinization—Exoplanets—Biosignatures—Planetary atmospheres. Astrobiology 13, 550–559. PMID:23742231

Towards better error statistics for atmospheric inversions of methane surface fluxes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Berchet

2013-07-01

Full Text Available We adapt general statistical methods to estimate the optimal error covariance matrices in a regional inversion system inferring methane surface emissions from atmospheric concentrations. Using a minimal set of physical hypotheses on the patterns of errors, we compute a guess of the error statistics that is optimal in regard to objective statistical criteria for the specific inversion system. With this very general approach applied to a real-data case, we recover sources of errors in the observations and in the prior state of the system that are consistent with expert knowledge while inferred from objective criteria and with affordable computation costs. By not assuming any specific error patterns, our results depict the variability and the inter-dependency of errors induced by complex factors such as the misrepresentation of the observations in the transport model or the inability of the model to reproduce well the situations of steep gradients of concentrations. Situations with probable significant biases (e.g., during the night when vertical mixing is ill-represented by the transport model can also be diagnosed by our methods in order to point at necessary improvement in a model. By additionally analysing the sensitivity of the inversion to each observation, guidelines to enhance data selection in regional inversions are also proposed. We applied our method to a recent significant accidental methane release from an offshore platform in the North Sea and found methane fluxes of the same magnitude than what was officially declared.

Investigations of Methane Production in Hypersaline Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Bebout, Brad M.

2015-01-01

The recent reports of methane in the atmosphere of Mars, as well as the findings of hypersaline paleo-environments on that planet, have underscored the need to evaluate the importance of biological (as opposed to geological) trace gas production and consumption. Methane in the atmosphere of Mars may be an indication of life but might also be a consequence of geologic activity and/or the thermal alteration of ancient organic matter. Hypersaline environments have now been reported to be extremely likely in several locations in our solar system, including: Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. Modern hypersaline microbial mat communities, (thought to be analogous to those present on the early Earth at a period of time when Mars was experiencing very similar environmental conditions), have been shown to produce methane. However, very little is known about the physical and/or biological controls imposed upon the rates at which methane, and other important trace gases, are produced and consumed in these environments. We describe here the results of our investigations of methane production in hypersaline environments, including field sites in Chile, Baja California Mexico, California, USA and the United Arab Emirates. We have measured high concentrations of methane in bubbles of gas produced both in the sediments underlying microbial mats, as well as in areas not colonized by microbial mats in the Guerrero Negro hypersaline ecosystem, Baja California Mexico, in Chile, and in salt ponds on the San Francisco Bay. The carbon isotopic (d13C) composition of the methane in the bubbles exhibited an extremely wide range of values, (ca. -75 per mille ca. -25 per mille). The hydrogen isotopic composition of the methane (d2H) ranged from -60 to -30per mille and -450 to -350per mille. These isotopic values are outside of the range of values normally considered to be biogenic, however incubations of the sediments in contact with these gas bubbles reveals that the methane is indeed being

Linking activity, composition and seasonal dynamics of atmospheric methane oxidizers in a meadow soil

Science.gov (United States)

Shrestha, Pravin Malla; Kammann, Claudia; Lenhart, Katharina; Dam, Bomba; Liesack, Werner

2012-01-01

Microbial oxidation is the only biological sink for atmospheric methane. We assessed seasonal changes in atmospheric methane oxidation and the underlying methanotrophic communities in grassland near Giessen (Germany), along a soil moisture gradient. Soil samples were taken from the surface layer (0–10 cm) of three sites in August 2007, November 2007, February 2008 and May 2008. The sites showed seasonal differences in hydrological parameters. Net uptake rates varied seasonally between 0 and 70 μg CH4 m−2 h−1. Greatest uptake rates coincided with lowest soil moisture in spring and summer. Over all sites and seasons, the methanotrophic communities were dominated by uncultivated methanotrophs. These formed a monophyletic cluster defined by the RA14, MHP and JR1 clades, referred to as upland soil cluster alphaproteobacteria (USCα)-like group. The copy numbers of pmoA genes ranged between 3.8 × 105–1.9 × 106 copies g−1 of soil. Temperature was positively correlated with CH4 uptake rates (P50 vol% and primarily related to members of the MHP clade. PMID:22189499

Understanding the Trends of Atmospheric Methane in the Past Decade

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, J. S.; Logan, J. A.; McElroy, M. B.; Duncan, B. N.; Yantosca, R. M.

2002-05-01

Methane (CH4) is the second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide. After steady growth that resulted in an increase in atmospheric CH4 concentration by a factor of 2.5 over the past three centuries, the growth rate slowed in the 1980s; superimposed on the recent trend is significant interannual variability. In this study, various sources of information are utilized to quantify the contributions of individual CH4 sources and sinks to the trends of CH4 in the past decade. The GEOS-CHEM global three-dimensional chemical transport model with assimilated meteorology is used to test a number of hypotheses regarding recent trends in emissions. The model is evaluated with observations from the NOAA CMDL network. The model accounts for interannual variations in meteorology and concentrations of OH radical. In the baseline simulation, emissions are scaled to yearly country-by-country socioeconomic and other data: livestock populations and rice harvest areas are taken from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization; statistics on natural gas consumption and flaring from the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center are used; data on coal production from British Petroleum are used; and precipitation rate and soil temperature from NCEP reanalyses are used to calculate natural wetland emissions, the sensitivities for which are based on the results obtained by Walter et al. [2001a,b]. The absolute strength for each of the sources in the base year of 1988 is chosen so that the budget satisfies mass balance constraints for total CH4 as well as individual isotopomers while producing good agreement with 1988 observed CH4 at various sites. Preliminary results indicate that the model simulates well the horizontal and vertical distribution, seasonal cycle, and long-term trend of CH4, capturing over 70% of the variance in the observed time series between 1988 and 1998 at many sites. However, an overestimate of the growth rate in the Northern Hemisphere as well

Aquatic herbivores facilitate the emission of methane from wetlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dingemans, B.J.J.; Bakker, E.S.; Bodelier, P.L.E.

2011-01-01

Wetlands are significant sources of atmospheric methane. Methane produced by microbes enters roots and escapes to the atmosphere through the shoots of emergent wetland plants. Herbivorous birds graze on helophytes, but their effect on methane emission remains unknown. We hypothesized that grazing on

Atmospheric methane variability at the Peterhof station (Russia): ground-based observations and modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Makarova, Maria; Kirner, Oliver; Poberovskii, Anatoliy; Imhasin, Humud; Timofeyev, Yuriy; Virolainen, Yana; Makarov, Boris

2014-05-01

The Peterhof station (59.88 N, 29.83 E, 20 m asl) for atmospheric monitoring was founded by Saint - Petersburg State University, Russia. FTIR (Fourier transform IR) observations of methane total column are being carried out by Bruker IFS125 HR since 2009. The study presents a joint analysis of experimental data and EMAC (ECHAM/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry model) model simulations for Peterhof over the period of 2009-2012. It was shown that CH4 total columns (TC) and column-averaged dry-air mole fractions (MF) obtained from observations are higher than model results with the difference of 1.3% and 0.3 % respectively. The correlation coefficients between FTIR and EMAC data are statistically significant (with 95% confidence) and equal to 0.82 ± 0.08 and 0.4 ± 0.1 for TC and MF of CH4 respectively. The high correlation for TCs shows that EMAC adequately reproduces CH4 variability due to meteorological processes in the atmosphere. On the other hand, the relatively low correlation coefficient for CH4 MF probably indicates an insufficiently precise knowledge of sources and sinks of the atmospheric methane. Amplitudes of the mean annual cycle of CH4 TC for experimental and model datasets (2009-2012) are of 2.1 % and 1.5 % respectively. The same amplitudes calculated for MF are less than for TC: 1.1% for FTIR and 0.6% for EMAC. Difference between FTIR and EMAC annual variations has pronounced seasonality with a maximum in September - November. It could be attributed to the underestimation of methane natural sources in the emission inventory used for EMAC simulations or by relatively coarse horizontal grid of the model (2.8°x2.8°). The analysis of modeling results allowed us to estimate the influence of the limited number of sunny days with FTIR measurement (i.e. specific meteorological conditions which usually take place during FTIR observations) on obtained FTIR estimates of the mean levels of TC and MF over 2009-2012. The systematic shifts of FTIR mean levels of TC and

Abiotic production of methane in terrestrial planets.

Science.gov (United States)

Guzmán-Marmolejo, Andrés; Segura, Antígona; Escobar-Briones, Elva

2013-06-01

On Earth, methane is produced mainly by life, and it has been proposed that, under certain conditions, methane detected in an exoplanetary spectrum may be considered a biosignature. Here, we estimate how much methane may be produced in hydrothermal vent systems by serpentinization, its main geological source, using the kinetic properties of the main reactions involved in methane production by serpentinization. Hydrogen production by serpentinization was calculated as a function of the available FeO in the crust, given the current spreading rates. Carbon dioxide is the limiting reactant for methane formation because it is highly depleted in aqueous form in hydrothermal vent systems. We estimated maximum CH4 surface fluxes of 6.8×10(8) and 1.3×10(9) molecules cm(-2) s(-1) for rocky planets with 1 and 5 M⊕, respectively. Using a 1-D photochemical model, we simulated atmospheres with volume mixing ratios of 0.03 and 0.1 CO2 to calculate atmospheric methane concentrations for the maximum production of this compound by serpentinization. The resulting abundances were 2.5 and 2.1 ppmv for 1 M⊕ planets and 4.1 and 3.7 ppmv for 5 M⊕ planets. Therefore, low atmospheric concentrations of methane may be produced by serpentinization. For habitable planets around Sun-like stars with N2-CO2 atmospheres, methane concentrations larger than 10 ppmv may indicate the presence of life.

How atmosphere in a restaurant can influence positively wine consumption?

OpenAIRE

Vangelisti, Marie

2017-01-01

Master's thesis in International hotel and tourism management : Culinary leadership and innovation In today's restaurant industry, the global atmosphere of a place (ambiance, decoration, food, music…) has more influence on consumption behavior than the food itself. That is why the aims of this paper is to know how to manage the restaurant atmosphere in order to increase wine sales. Based on a literature review, an atmospheric model has been defined, by referring to this model, the restaura...

Direct Activation Of Methane

KAUST Repository

Basset, Jean-Marie; Sun, Miao; Caps, Valerie; Pelletier, Jeremie; Abou-Hamad, Edy

2013-01-01

Heteropolyacids (HPAs) can activate methane at ambient temperature (e.g., 20.degree. C.) and atmospheric pressure, and transform methane to acetic acid, in the absence of any noble metal such as Pd). The HPAs can be, for example, those with Keggin

Anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification is the dominant methane sink in a deep lake

Science.gov (United States)

Deutzmann, Joerg S.; Stief, Peter; Brandes, Josephin; Schink, Bernhard

2014-01-01

Anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification, also known as “nitrate/nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation” (n-damo), was discovered in 2006. Since then, only a few studies have identified this process and the associated microorganisms in natural environments. In aquatic sediments, the close proximity of oxygen- and nitrate-consumption zones can mask n-damo as aerobic methane oxidation. We therefore investigated the vertical distribution and the abundance of denitrifying methanotrophs related to Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera with cultivation-independent molecular techniques in the sediments of Lake Constance. Additionally, the vertical distribution of methane oxidation and nitrate consumption zones was inferred from high-resolution microsensor profiles in undisturbed sediment cores. M. oxyfera-like bacteria were virtually absent at shallow-water sites (littoral sediment) and were very abundant at deep-water sites (profundal sediment). In profundal sediment, the vertical distribution of M. oxyfera-like bacteria showed a distinct peak in anoxic layers that coincided with the zone of methane oxidation and nitrate consumption, a strong indication for n-damo carried out by M. oxyfera-like bacteria. Both potential n-damo rates calculated from cell densities (660–4,890 µmol CH4⋅m−2⋅d−1) and actual rates calculated from microsensor profiles (31–437 µmol CH4⋅m−2⋅d−1) were sufficiently high to prevent methane release from profundal sediment solely by this process. Additionally, when nitrate was added to sediment cores exposed to anoxic conditions, the n-damo zone reestablished well below the sediment surface, completely preventing methane release from the sediment. We conclude that the previously overlooked n-damo process can be the major methane sink in stable freshwater environments if nitrate is available in anoxic zones. PMID:25472842

Anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification is the dominant methane sink in a deep lake.

Science.gov (United States)

Deutzmann, Joerg S; Stief, Peter; Brandes, Josephin; Schink, Bernhard

2014-12-23

Anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification, also known as "nitrate/nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation" (n-damo), was discovered in 2006. Since then, only a few studies have identified this process and the associated microorganisms in natural environments. In aquatic sediments, the close proximity of oxygen- and nitrate-consumption zones can mask n-damo as aerobic methane oxidation. We therefore investigated the vertical distribution and the abundance of denitrifying methanotrophs related to Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera with cultivation-independent molecular techniques in the sediments of Lake Constance. Additionally, the vertical distribution of methane oxidation and nitrate consumption zones was inferred from high-resolution microsensor profiles in undisturbed sediment cores. M. oxyfera-like bacteria were virtually absent at shallow-water sites (littoral sediment) and were very abundant at deep-water sites (profundal sediment). In profundal sediment, the vertical distribution of M. oxyfera-like bacteria showed a distinct peak in anoxic layers that coincided with the zone of methane oxidation and nitrate consumption, a strong indication for n-damo carried out by M. oxyfera-like bacteria. Both potential n-damo rates calculated from cell densities (660-4,890 µmol CH4⋅m(-2)⋅d(-1)) and actual rates calculated from microsensor profiles (31-437 µmol CH4⋅m(-2)⋅d(-1)) were sufficiently high to prevent methane release from profundal sediment solely by this process. Additionally, when nitrate was added to sediment cores exposed to anoxic conditions, the n-damo zone reestablished well below the sediment surface, completely preventing methane release from the sediment. We conclude that the previously overlooked n-damo process can be the major methane sink in stable freshwater environments if nitrate is available in anoxic zones.

Methane Conversion to C2 Hydrocarbons by Abnormal Glow Discharge at Atmospheric Pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dai Wei; Yu Hui; Chen Qi; Yin Yongxiang; Dai Xiaoyan

2005-01-01

Methane conversion to C 2 hydrocarbons has been investigated with the addition of hydrogen in a plasma reactor of abnormal glow discharge at atmospheric pressure. The aim of this experiment is to minimize coke formation and improve discharge stability. The typical conditions in the experiment are 300 ml of total feed flux and 400 W of discharge power. The experimental results show that methane conversion is from 91.6% to 35.2% in mol, acetylene selectivity is from 90.2% to 57.6%, and ethylene selectivity is approximately from 7.8% to 3.6%, where the coke increases gradually along with the increase of CH 4 /H 2 from 2: 8 to 9: 1. A stable discharge for a considerable running time can be obtained only at a lower ratio of CH 4 /H 2 2: 8 or 3: 7. These phenomena indicate that the coke deposition during methane conversion is obviously reduced by adding a large amount of hydrogen during an abnormal glow discharge. A qualitative interpretation is presented, namely, with abundant hydrogen, the possibility that hydrogen molecules are activated to hydrogen radicals is increased with the help of the abnormal glow discharge. These hydrogen radicals react with carbon radicals to form C 2 hydrocarbon products. Therefore, the deposition of coke is restrained

An Aerial ``Sniffer Dog'' for Methane

Science.gov (United States)

Nathan, Brian; Schaefer, Dave; Zondlo, Mark; Khan, Amir; Lary, David

2012-10-01

The Earth's surface and its atmosphere maintain a ``Radiation Balance.'' Any factor which influences this balance is labeled as a mechanism of ``Radiative Forcing'' (RF). Greenhouse Gas (GHG) concentrations are among the most important forcing mechanisms. Methane, the second-most-abundant noncondensing greenhouse gas, is over 25 times more effective per molecule at radiating heat than the most abundant, Carbon Dioxide. Methane is also the principal component of Natural Gas, and gas leaks can cause explosions. Additionally, massive quantities of methane reside (in the form of natural gas) in underground shale basins. Recent technological advancements--specifically the combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing--have allowed drillers access to portions of these ``plays'' which were previously unreachable, leading to an exponential growth in the shale gas industry. Presently, very little is known about the amount of methane which escapes into the global atmosphere from the extraction process. By using remote-controlled robotic helicopters equipped with specially developed trace gas laser sensors, we can get a 3-D profile of where and how methane is being released into the global atmosphere.

Atmospheric methane isotopic record favors fossil sources flat in 1980s and 1990s with recent increase

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, Andrew L.; Butenhoff, Christopher L.; Teama, Doaa G.; Röger, Florian H.; Khalil, M. Aslam K.; Rasmussen, Reinhold A.

2016-09-01

Observations of atmospheric methane (CH4) since the late 1970s and measurements of CH4 trapped in ice and snow reveal a meteoric rise in concentration during much of the twentieth century. Since 1750, levels of atmospheric CH4 have more than doubled to current globally averaged concentration near 1,800 ppb. During the late 1980s and 1990s, the CH4 growth rate slowed substantially and was near or at zero between 1999 and 2006. There is no scientific consensus on the drivers of this slowdown. Here, we report measurements of the stable isotopic composition of atmospheric CH4 (13C/12C and D/H) from a rare air archive dating from 1977 to 1998. Together with more modern records of isotopic atmospheric CH4, we performed a time-dependent retrieval of methane fluxes spanning 25 y (1984-2009) using a 3D chemical transport model. This inversion results in a 24 [18, 27] Tg y-1 CH4 increase in fugitive fossil fuel emissions since 1984 with most of this growth occurring after year 2000. This result is consistent with some bottom-up emissions inventories but not with recent estimates based on atmospheric ethane. In fact, when forced with decreasing emissions from fossil fuel sources our inversion estimates unreasonably high emissions in other sources. Further, the inversion estimates a decrease in biomass-burning emissions that could explain falling ethane abundance. A range of sensitivity tests suggests that these results are robust.

Methane clathrates in the solar system.

Science.gov (United States)

Mousis, Olivier; Chassefière, Eric; Holm, Nils G; Bouquet, Alexis; Waite, Jack Hunter; Geppert, Wolf Dietrich; Picaud, Sylvain; Aikawa, Yuri; Ali-Dib, Mohamad; Charlou, Jean-Luc; Rousselot, Philippe

2015-04-01

We review the reservoirs of methane clathrates that may exist in the different bodies of the Solar System. Methane was formed in the interstellar medium prior to having been embedded in the protosolar nebula gas phase. This molecule was subsequently trapped in clathrates that formed from crystalline water ice during the cooling of the disk and incorporated in this form into the building blocks of comets, icy bodies, and giant planets. Methane clathrates may play an important role in the evolution of planetary atmospheres. On Earth, the production of methane in clathrates is essentially biological, and these compounds are mostly found in permafrost regions or in the sediments of continental shelves. On Mars, methane would more likely derive from hydrothermal reactions with olivine-rich material. If they do exist, martian methane clathrates would be stable only at depth in the cryosphere and sporadically release some methane into the atmosphere via mechanisms that remain to be determined. In the case of Titan, most of its methane probably originates from the protosolar nebula, where it would have been trapped in the clathrates agglomerated by the satellite's building blocks. Methane clathrates are still believed to play an important role in the present state of Titan. Their presence is invoked in the satellite's subsurface as a means of replenishing its atmosphere with methane via outgassing episodes. The internal oceans of Enceladus and Europa also provide appropriate thermodynamic conditions that allow formation of methane clathrates. In turn, these clathrates might influence the composition of these liquid reservoirs. Finally, comets and Kuiper Belt Objects might have formed from the agglomeration of clathrates and pure ices in the nebula. The methane observed in comets would then result from the destabilization of clathrate layers in the nuclei concurrent with their approach to perihelion. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations show that methane-rich clathrate

Comparison of the HadGEM2 climate-chemistry model against in situ and SCIAMACHY atmospheric methane data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. D. Hayman

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Wetlands are a major emission source of methane (CH4 globally. In this study, we evaluate wetland emission estimates derived using the UK community land surface model (JULES, the Joint UK Land Earth Simulator against atmospheric observations of methane, including, for the first time, total methane columns derived from the SCIAMACHY instrument on board the ENVISAT satellite. Two JULES wetland emission estimates are investigated: (a from an offline run driven with Climatic Research Unit–National Centers for Environmental Prediction (CRU-NCEP meteorological data and (b from the same offline run in which the modelled wetland fractions are replaced with those derived from the Global Inundation Extent from Multi-Satellites (GIEMS remote sensing product. The mean annual emission assumed for each inventory (181 Tg CH4 per annum over the period 1999–2007 is in line with other recently published estimates. There are regional differences as the unconstrained JULES inventory gives significantly higher emissions in the Amazon (by ~36 Tg CH4 yr−1 and lower emissions in other regions (by up to 10 Tg CH4 yr−1 compared to the JULES estimates constrained with the GIEMS product. Using the UK Hadley Centre's Earth System model with atmospheric chemistry (HadGEM2, we evaluate these JULES wetland emissions against atmospheric observations of methane. We obtain improved agreement with the surface concentration measurements, especially at high northern latitudes, compared to previous HadGEM2 runs using the wetland emission data set of Fung et al. (1991. Although the modelled monthly atmospheric methane columns reproduce the large-scale patterns in the SCIAMACHY observations, they are biased low by 50 part per billion by volume (ppb. Replacing the HadGEM2 modelled concentrations above 300 hPa with HALOE–ACE assimilated TOMCAT output results in a significantly better agreement with the SCIAMACHY observations. The use of the GIEMS product to constrain the JULES

Tracking the MSL-SAM methane detection source location Through Mars Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (MRAMS)

Science.gov (United States)

Pla-García, Jorge

2016-04-01

1. Introduction: The putative in situ detection of methane by Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite on Curiosi-ty at Gale crater has garnered significant attention because of the potential implications for the presence of geological methane sources or indigenous Martian organisms [1, 2]. SAM reported detection of back-ground levels of atmospheric methane of mean value 0.69±0.25 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) at the 95% confidence interval (CI). Additionally, in four sequential measurements spanning a 60-sol period, SAM observed elevated levels of methane of 7.2±2.1 ppbv (95% CI), implying that Mars is episodically producing methane from an additional unknown source. There are many major unresolved questions regard-ing this detection: 1) What are the potential sources of the methane release? 2) What causes the rapid decrease in concentration? and 3) Where is the re-lease location? 4) How spatially extensive is the re-lease? 5) For how long is CH4 released? Regarding the first question, the source of methane, is so far not identified. It could be related with geo-logical process like methane release from clathrates [3], serpentinisation [4] and volcanism [5]; or due to biological activity from methanogenesis [6]. To answer the second question, the rapid decrease in concentration, it is important to note that the photo-chemical lifetime of methane is of order 100 years, much longer than the atmospheric mixing time scale, and thus the gas should tend to be well mixed except near a source or shortly after an episodic release. The observed spike of 7 ppb from the background of System (MRAMS). The model was focused on rover locations using nested grids with a spacing of 330 meters on the in-nermost grid that is centered over the landing [8, 9]. MRAMS is ideally suited for this investigation; the model is explicitly designed to simulate Mars' at-mospheric circulations at the mesoscale and smaller with realistic, high-resolution surface properties [10, 11

Microbial CH4 and N2O consumption in acidic wetlands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steffen eKolb

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Acidic wetlands are global sources of the atmospheric greenhouse gases methane (CH4, and nitrous oxide (N2O. Consumption of both atmospheric gases has been observed in various acidic wetlands, but information on the microbial mechanisms underlying these phenomena is scarce. A substantial amount of CH4 is consumed in sub soil by aerobic methanotrophs at anoxic–oxic interfaces (e.g., tissues of Sphagnum mosses, rhizosphere of vascular plant roots. Methylocystis-related species are likely candidates that are involved in the consumption of atmospheric CH4 in acidic wetlands. Oxygen availability regulates the activity of methanotrophs of acidic wetlands. Other parameters impacting on the methanotroph-mediated CH4 consumption have not been systematically evaluated. N2O is produced and consumed by microbial denitrification, thus rendering acidic wetlands as temporary sources or sinks for N2O. Denitrifier communities in such ecosystems are diverse, and largely uncultured and/or new, and environmental factors that control their consumption activity are unresolved. Analyses of the composition of N2O reductase genes in acidic wetlands suggest that acid-tolerant Proteobacteria have the potential to mediate N2O consumption in such soils. Thus, the fragmented current state of knowledge raises open questions concerning methanotrophs and dentrifiers that consume atmospheric CH4 and N2O in acidic wetlands.

Evidence for methane in Martian meteorites.

Science.gov (United States)

Blamey, Nigel J F; Parnell, John; McMahon, Sean; Mark, Darren F; Tomkinson, Tim; Lee, Martin; Shivak, Jared; Izawa, Matthew R M; Banerjee, Neil R; Flemming, Roberta L

2015-06-16

The putative occurrence of methane in the Martian atmosphere has had a major influence on the exploration of Mars, especially by the implication of active biology. The occurrence has not been borne out by measurements of atmosphere by the MSL rover Curiosity but, as on Earth, methane on Mars is most likely in the subsurface of the crust. Serpentinization of olivine-bearing rocks, to yield hydrogen that may further react with carbon-bearing species, has been widely invoked as a source of methane on Mars, but this possibility has not hitherto been tested. Here we show that some Martian meteorites, representing basic igneous rocks, liberate a methane-rich volatile component on crushing. The occurrence of methane in Martian rock samples adds strong weight to models whereby any life on Mars is/was likely to be resident in a subsurface habitat, where methane could be a source of energy and carbon for microbial activity.

Detection of Abiotic Methane in Terrestrial Continental Hydrothermal Systems: Implications for Methane on Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Socki, Richard A.; Niles, Paul B.; Gibson, Everett K., Jr.; Romanek, Christopher S.; Zhang, Chuanlun L.; Bissada, Kadry K.

2008-01-01

The recent detection of methane in the Martian atmosphere and the possibility that its origin could be attributed to biological activity, have highlighted the importance of understanding the mechanisms of methane formation and its usefulness as a biomarker. Much debate has centered on the source of the methane in hydrothermal fluids, whether it is formed biologically by microorganisms, diagenetically through the decomposition of sedimentary organic matter, or inorganically via reduction of CO2 at high temperatures. Ongoing research has now shown that much of the methane present in sea-floor hydrothermal systems is probably formed through inorganic CO2 reduction processes at very high temperatures (greater than 400 C). Experimental results have indicated that methane might form inorganically at temperatures lower still, however these results remain controversial. Currently, methane in continental hydrothermal systems is thought to be formed mainly through the breakdown of sedimentary organic matter and carbon isotope equilibrium between CO2 and CH4 is thought to be rarely present if at all. Based on isotopic measurements of CO2 and CH4 in two continental hydrothermal systems, we suggest that carbon isotope equilibration exists at temperatures as low as 155 C. This would indicate that methane is forming through abiotic CO2 reduction at lower temperatures than previously thought and could bolster arguments for an abiotic origin of the methane detected in the martian atmosphere.

Conversion of Methane to C2 Hydrocarbons and Hydrogen Using a Gliding Arc Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Shuanghui; Wang Baowei; Lv Yijun; Yan Wenjuan

2013-01-01

Methane conversion has been studied using gliding arc plasma in the presence of argon. The process was conducted at atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature. The focus of this research was to develop a process of converting methane to C 2 hydrocarbons and hydrogen. The main parameters, including the CH 4 /Ar mole ratio, the CH 4 flow rate, the input voltage, and the minimum electrode gap, were varied to investigate their effects on methane conversion rate, product distribution, energy consumption, carbon deposit, and reaction stability. The specific energy requirement (SER) was used to express the energy utilization efficiency of the process and provided a practical guidance for optimizing reaction conditions for improving energy efficiency. It was found that the carbon deposition was not conducive to methane conversion, and the gliding arc plasma discharge reached a stable state twelve minutes later. Optimum conditions for methane conversion were suggested. The maximum methane conversion rate of 43.39% was obtained under the optimum conditions. Also, C 2 hydrocarbons selectivity, C 2 hydrocarbons yield, H 2 selectivity, H 2 yield and SER were 87.20%, 37.83%, 81.28%, 35.27%, and 2.09 MJ/mol, respectively.

Methane Production and Transport within the Marsh Biome of Biosphere 2

Science.gov (United States)

Molnar, Jennifer; Goodridge, Kelven

1997-01-01

In recent decades, the concentration of methane in the earth's atmosphere increased 1-2% annually. It's rate of increases, combined with methane's effectiveness as a greenhouse gas, has led to an intensive research effort to determine the sources and sinks of the gas in the environment. Biosphere 2 offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the effort because it lacks a major photochemical sink present in the Earth's atmosphere. Researchers can therefore concentrate on biological processes involved in methane cycles. Wetlands are a large source of atmospheric methane, due to anoxic conditions in the sediments and the abundance of organic materials. In order to determine if these conditions in Biosphere 2 also promote methane production, this study looked for the fluxes of methane and methods of transport of the gas from from the water and sediments to the atmosphere in the Marsh Biome. Fluxes of methane from the sediments and waters were measured using static chambers, peepers, and leaf bags. Fluxes and vertical profiles of methane in the sediments show that substantial amounts of methane are being produced in the marsh and are being transported into the Biosphere 2 environment.

Permafrost-associated gas hydrates of Northern Alaska: A possible source of atmospheric methane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collett, T.S.

1991-01-01

Numerous researchers have suggested that destabilized gas hydrates may be contributing to this buildup in atmospheric methane. Little is known about the geologic or geochemical nature of gas hydrates, even though they are known to occur in numerous arctic sedimentary basins. Because of the abundance of available geologic data, the author's research has focused on assessing the distribution of gas hydrates within the onshore regions of northern Alaska; currently, onshore permafrost-associated gas hydrates are believed to be insulated from most atmospheric temperature changes and are not at this time an important source of atmospheric methane. Their onshore gas hydrate studies, however, can be used to develop geologic analogs for potential gas hydrate occurrences within unexplored areas, such as the thermally unstable nearshore continental shelf. On the North Slope, gas hydrates have been identified in 36 industry wells by using well-log responses calibrated to the response of an interval in one well where gas hydrates were recovered in a core by an oil company. Most gas hydrates they identified occur in six laterally continuous Upper Cretaceous and lower Tertiary sandstone and conglomerate units; all these hydrates are geographically restricted to the area overlying the eastern part of the Kuparuk River Oil Field and the western part of the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field. Stable carbon isotope geochemical analysis of well cuttings suggests that the identified hydrates originated from a mixture of deep-source thermogenic gas and shallow microbial gas that was either directly converted to gas hydrate or first concentrated in existing traps and later converted to gas hydrate. They postulate that the thermogenic gas migrated from deeper reservoirs along the faults thought to be migration pathways for the large volumes of shallow, heavy oil found in the same area

Patterns in wetland microbial community composition and functional gene repertoire associated with methane emissions.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Shaomei; Malfatti, Stephanie A; McFarland, Jack W; Anderson, Frank E; Pati, Amrita; Huntemann, Marcel; Tremblay, Julien; Glavina del Rio, Tijana; Waldrop, Mark P; Windham-Myers, Lisamarie; Tringe, Susannah G

2015-05-19

that mediate carbon cycling in wetlands is critical to accurately predicting their responses to changes in land management and climate. Here, we studied a restored wetland and revealed substantial spatial heterogeneity in biogeochemistry, methane production, and microbial communities, largely associated with the wetland hydraulic design. We observed patterns in microbial community composition and functions correlated with biogeochemistry and methane production, including diverse microorganisms involved in methane production and consumption. We found that methanogenesis gene abundance is inversely correlated with genes from pathways exploiting other electron acceptors, yet the ubiquitous presence of genes from all these pathways suggests that diverse electron acceptors contribute to the energetic balance of the ecosystem. These investigations represent an important step toward effective management of wetlands to reduce methane flux to the atmosphere and enhance belowground carbon storage. Copyright © 2015 He et al.

Estimating European historical production, consumption and atmospheric emissions of decabromodiphenyl ether

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Earnshaw, Mark R., E-mail: m.earnshaw2@lancaster.ac.uk; Jones, Kevin C., E-mail: k.c.jones@lancaster.ac.uk; Sweetman, Andy J., E-mail: a.sweetman@lancaster.ac.uk

2013-03-01

A European scale production, consumption and environmental emissions inventory is produced for decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE) for the period 1970–2020. A dynamic substance flow analysis model of DecaBDE is developed and emission of the main congener, BDE-209, to environmental compartments is estimated. From 1970 to 2010, it is estimated that a total of 185,000–250,000 tonnes of DecaBDE was consumed in Europe. Consumption peaked in the late 1990s at approximately 9000 tonnes/year and has declined by ∼ 30% in 2010. Predicted BDE-209 atmospheric emissions peak in 2004 at 10 tonnes/year. The waste management phase of the BDE-209 life cycle is responsible for the majority of atmospheric emissions via volatilisation and particle bound emissions from landfills, whilst leakage from Sewerage systems is the major source of emissions to the hydrosphere. Use of sewage sludge from wastewater treatment works as an agricultural fertiliser is the most important pathway of BDE-209 to soil. Although DecaBDE consumption has declined in recent years, the stock in use for 2010 remains considerable (60,000 tonnes) and is likely to act as a source of atmospheric emissions for several decades. Uncertainties exist in these estimations and more field or experimental data is needed to clarify the significance of certain emission pathways, in particular, emissions from landfill sites. - Highlights: ► Total DecaBDE consumption in Europe for the period 1970–2010 is estimated to be between 185,000 and 250,000 tonnes. ► European atmospheric emissions of BDE-209 is predicted to peak in 2004 at 10 tonnes/year. ► The waste management phase is responsible for the majority of BDE-209 environmental emissions. ► The volume of BDE-209 present in the anthroposphere is declining and is predicted to fall to negligible levels by 2030.

Estimating European historical production, consumption and atmospheric emissions of decabromodiphenyl ether

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Earnshaw, Mark R.; Jones, Kevin C.; Sweetman, Andy J.

2013-01-01

A European scale production, consumption and environmental emissions inventory is produced for decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE) for the period 1970–2020. A dynamic substance flow analysis model of DecaBDE is developed and emission of the main congener, BDE-209, to environmental compartments is estimated. From 1970 to 2010, it is estimated that a total of 185,000–250,000 tonnes of DecaBDE was consumed in Europe. Consumption peaked in the late 1990s at approximately 9000 tonnes/year and has declined by ∼ 30% in 2010. Predicted BDE-209 atmospheric emissions peak in 2004 at 10 tonnes/year. The waste management phase of the BDE-209 life cycle is responsible for the majority of atmospheric emissions via volatilisation and particle bound emissions from landfills, whilst leakage from Sewerage systems is the major source of emissions to the hydrosphere. Use of sewage sludge from wastewater treatment works as an agricultural fertiliser is the most important pathway of BDE-209 to soil. Although DecaBDE consumption has declined in recent years, the stock in use for 2010 remains considerable (60,000 tonnes) and is likely to act as a source of atmospheric emissions for several decades. Uncertainties exist in these estimations and more field or experimental data is needed to clarify the significance of certain emission pathways, in particular, emissions from landfill sites. - Highlights: ► Total DecaBDE consumption in Europe for the period 1970–2010 is estimated to be between 185,000 and 250,000 tonnes. ► European atmospheric emissions of BDE-209 is predicted to peak in 2004 at 10 tonnes/year. ► The waste management phase is responsible for the majority of BDE-209 environmental emissions. ► The volume of BDE-209 present in the anthroposphere is declining and is predicted to fall to negligible levels by 2030

Organic chemistry in the atmosphere. [laboratory modeling of Titan atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Sagan, C.

1974-01-01

The existence of an at least moderately complex organic chemistry on Titan is stipulated based on clear evidence of methane, and at least presumptive evidence of hydrogen in its atmosphere. The ratio of methane to hydrogen is the highest of any atmosphere in the solar system. Irradiation of hydrogen/methane mixtures produces aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons. A very reasonable hypothesis assumes that the red cloud cover of Titan is made of organic chemicals. Two-carbon hydrocarbons experimentally produced from irradiated mixtures of methane, ammonia, water, and hydrogen bear out the possible organic chemistry of the Titanian environment.

Regional emission and loss budgets of atmospheric methane (2002-2012)

Science.gov (United States)

Saeki, T.; Patra, P. K.; Dlugokencky, E. J.; Ishijima, K.; Umezawa, T.; Ito, A.; Aoki, S.; Morimoto, S.; Kort, E. A.; Crotwell, A. M.; Ravi Kumar, K.; Nakazawa, T.

2015-12-01

Methane (CH4) plays important roles in atmospheric chemistry and short-term forcing of climate. Clear understanding of atmospheric CH4's budget of emissions and losses is required to aid sustainable development of Earth's future environment. We used an atmospheric chemistry-transport model (JAMSTEC's ACTM) for simulating atmospheric CH4. An inverse modeling system has been developed for estimating CH4 emissions (7 ensemble cases) from 53 land regions for 2002-2012 using measurements at 39 sites. Global net CH4 emissions varied between 505-509 and 524-545 Tg/yr during 2002-2004 and 2010-2012, respectively (ranges based on 6 inversion cases), with a step like increase in 2007 in agreement with atmospheric measurement. The inversion system did not account for interannual variations in radicals reacting with CH4 in atmosphere. Our results suggest that the recent update of EDGAR inventory (version 4.2FT2010) overestimated global total emissions by at least 25 Tg/yr in 2010. Increase in CH4 emission since 2004 originated in the tropical and southern hemisphere regions, with timing consistent with an increase of non-dairy cattle stocks by ~10% in 2012 from 1056 million heads in 2002, leading to ~10 Tg/yr increase in emissions from enteric fermentation. All 7 inversions robustly estimated the interannual variations in emissions, but poorly constrained the seasonal cycle amplitude or phase consistently for all regions due to sparse observational network. Forward simulation results using both the a priori and a posteriori emissions are compared with independent aircraft measurements for validation. By doing that we are able to reject the upper limit (545 Tg/yr) of global total emissions as 14 Tg/yr too high during 2008-2012, which allows us to further conclude that CH4 emission increase rate over the East Asia (China mainly) region was 7-8 Tg/yr between the 2002-2006 and 2008-2012 periods, contrary to 1-17 Tg/yr in the a priori emissions.

Carbon-13 isotopic abundance and concentration of atmospheric methane for background air in the Southern and Northern Hemispheres from 1978 to 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevens, C.M.; Sepanski; Morris, L.J.

1995-03-01

Atmospheric methane (CH 4 ) may become an increasingly important contributor to global warming in future years. Its atmospheric concentration has risen, doubling over the past several hundred years, and additional methane is thought to have a much greater effect on climate, on a per molecule basis, than additional C0 2 at present day concentrations (Shine et al. 1990). The causes of the increase of atmospheric CH 4 have been difficult to ascertain because of a lack of quantitative knowledge of the fluxes (i.e., net emissions) from the numerous anthropogenic and natural sources. The goal of CH 4 isotopic studies is to provide a constraint (and so reduce the uncertainties) in estimating the relative fluxes from the various isotopically distinct sources, whose combined fluxes must result in the measured atmospheric isotopic composition, after the fractionating effect of the atmospheric removal process is considered. In addition, knowledge of the spatial and temporal changes in the isotopic composition of atmospheric CH 4 , along with estimates of the fluxes from some of the major sources, makes it possible to calculate growth rates for sources whose temporal emissions trends would be difficult to measure directly

Estimation of Methane Emissions in the Los Angeles Basin using CLARS-FTS Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Sander, S.; Zeng, Z. C.; Pongetti, T.; Duren, R. M.; Shia, R. L.; Yung, Y. L.; He, L.; Gurney, K. R.

2017-12-01

The Los Angeles Basin (LA Basin), covering almost 10,743 square miles, is home to over 16.8 million people - about half the population of the state of California. It is also the second most populated urban area in the United States and one of the major source of anthropogenic greenhouse gases. Using FTIR observations from the California Laboratory for Atmospheric Remote Sensing (CLARS) located on Mount Wilson at an altitude of 1673m, we measure the reflected near infrared sunlight from 33 surface targets in the Los Angeles megacity including the direct solar beam which gives the free tropospheric background. We then retrieve the excess slant column abundances of important trace gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) in the LA basin. Using atmospheric tracer - tracer correlations for CH4 and CO2 to eliminate the effect of aerosol scattering in the retrieval, we infer methane emissions based on the ratio of XCH4 excess to XCO2 excess. Significant variability is observed in the spatial distributions of excess CH4. Methane emissions in the LA basin show consistent peaks in late summer and winter during the period from Sep 2011 to the present. The strong correlation between natural gas usage data and derived CLARS methane emissions (r2 = 0.5) implies that natural gas leakage during transmission and/or consumption accounts for a significant fraction of the inferred seasonal variability of methane emissions in the LA basin. We will report updated annual trends in CH4 emissions from 2011 to the present. Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.

Effect of summer throughfall exclusion, summer drought, and winter snow cover on methane fluxes in a temperate forest soil

Science.gov (United States)

Borken, W.; Davidson, E.A.; Savage, K.; Sundquist, E.T.; Steudler, P.

2006-01-01

Soil moisture strongly controls the uptake of atmospheric methane by limiting the diffusion of methane into the soil, resulting in a negative correlation between soil moisture and methane uptake rates under most non-drought conditions. However, little is known about the effect of water stress on methane uptake in temperate forests during severe droughts. We simulated extreme summer droughts by exclusion of 168 mm (2001) and 344 mm (2002) throughfall using three translucent roofs in a mixed deciduous forest at the Harvard Forest, Massachusetts, USA. The treatment significantly increased CH4 uptake during the first weeks of throughfall exclusion in 2001 and during most of the 2002 treatment period. Low summertime CH4 uptake rates were found only briefly in both control and exclusion plots during a natural late summer drought, when water contents below 0.15 g cm-3 may have caused water stress of methanotrophs in the A horizon. Because these soils are well drained, the exclusion treatment had little effect on A horizon water content between wetting events, and the effect of water stress was smaller and more brief than was the overall treatment effect on methane diffusion. Methane consumption rates were highest in the A horizon and showed a parabolic relationship between gravimetric water content and CH4 consumption, with maximum rate at 0.23 g H2O g-1 soil. On average, about 74% of atmospheric CH4 was consumed in the top 4-5 cm of the mineral soil. By contrast, little or no CH4 consumption occurred in the O horizon. Snow cover significantly reduced the uptake rate from December to March. Removal of snow enhanced CH4 uptake by about 700-1000%, resulting in uptake rates similar to those measured during the growing season. Soil temperatures had little effect on CH4 uptake as long as the mineral soil was not frozen, indicating strong substrate limitation of methanotrophs throughout the year. Our results suggest that the extension of snow periods may affect the annual rate

Martian methane plume models for defining Mars rover methane source search strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Nicol, Christopher; Ellery, Alex; Lynch, Brian; Cloutis, Ed

2018-07-01

The detection of atmospheric methane on Mars implies an active methane source. This introduces the possibility of a biotic source with the implied need to determine whether the methane is indeed biotic in nature or geologically generated. There is a clear need for robotic algorithms which are capable of manoeuvring a rover through a methane plume on Mars to locate its source. We explore aspects of Mars methane plume modelling to reveal complex dynamics characterized by advection and diffusion. A statistical analysis of the plume model has been performed and compared to analyses of terrestrial plume models. Finally, we consider a robotic search strategy to find a methane plume source. We find that gradient-based techniques are ineffective, but that more sophisticated model-based search strategies are unlikely to be available in near-term rover missions.

Atmospheric methane at Cape Meares - Analysis of a high-resolution data base and its environmental implications

Science.gov (United States)

Khalil, M. A. K.; Rasmussen, R. A.; Moraes, F.

1993-01-01

Between 1979 and 1992 we took some 120,000 measurements of atmospheric methane at Cape Meares on the Oregon coast. The site is representative of methane concentrations in the northern latitudes (from 30 deg N to 90 deg N). The average concentration during the experiment was 1698 parts per billion by volume (ppbv). Methane concentration increased by 190 ppbv (or 11.9 percent) during the 13-year span of the experiment. The rate of increase was about 20 +/- 4 ppbv/yr in the first 2 yr and 10 +/- 2 ppbv/yr in the last 2 yr of the experiment, suggesting a substantial decline in the trend at northern middle and high latitudes. Prominent seasonal cycles were observed. During the year, the concentration stays more or less constant until May and then starts falling, reaching lowest levels in July and August, then rises rapidly to nearly maximum concentrations in October. Interannual variations with small amplitudes of 2-3 ppbv occur with periods of 1.4 and 6.5 yr.

TITAN'S TRANSPORT-DRIVEN METHANE CYCLE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitchell, Jonathan L.

2012-01-01

The mechanisms behind the occurrence of large cloud outbursts and precipitation on Titan have been disputed. A global- and annual-mean estimate of surface fluxes indicated only 1% of the insolation, or ∼0.04 W m –2 , is exchanged as sensible and/or latent fluxes. Since these fluxes are responsible for driving atmospheric convection, it has been argued that moist convection should be quite rare and precipitation even rarer, even if evaporation globally dominates the surface-atmosphere energy exchange. In contrast, climate simulations indicate substantial cloud formation and/or precipitation. We argue that the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiative imbalance is diagnostic of horizontal heat transport by Titan's atmosphere, and thus constrains the strength of the methane cycle. Simple calculations show the TOA radiative imbalance is ∼0.5-1 W m –2 in Titan's equatorial region, which implies 2-3 MW of latitudinal heat transport by the atmosphere. Our simulation of Titan's climate suggests this transport may occur primarily as latent heat, with net evaporation at the equator and net accumulation at higher latitudes. Thus, the methane cycle could be 10-20 times previous estimates. Opposing seasonal transport at solstices, compensation by sensible heat transport, and focusing of precipitation by large-scale dynamics could further enhance the local, instantaneous strength of Titan's methane cycle by a factor of several. A limited supply of surface liquids in regions of large surface radiative imbalance may throttle the methane cycle, and if so, we predict more frequent large storms over the lakes district during Titan's northern summer.

Minimal geological methane emissions during the Younger Dryas-Preboreal abrupt warming event.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrenko, Vasilii V; Smith, Andrew M; Schaefer, Hinrich; Riedel, Katja; Brook, Edward; Baggenstos, Daniel; Harth, Christina; Hua, Quan; Buizert, Christo; Schilt, Adrian; Fain, Xavier; Mitchell, Logan; Bauska, Thomas; Orsi, Anais; Weiss, Ray F; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P

2017-08-23

Methane (CH 4 ) is a powerful greenhouse gas and plays a key part in global atmospheric chemistry. Natural geological emissions (fossil methane vented naturally from marine and terrestrial seeps and mud volcanoes) are thought to contribute around 52 teragrams of methane per year to the global methane source, about 10 per cent of the total, but both bottom-up methods (measuring emissions) and top-down approaches (measuring atmospheric mole fractions and isotopes) for constraining these geological emissions have been associated with large uncertainties. Here we use ice core measurements to quantify the absolute amount of radiocarbon-containing methane ( 14 CH 4 ) in the past atmosphere and show that geological methane emissions were no higher than 15.4 teragrams per year (95 per cent confidence), averaged over the abrupt warming event that occurred between the Younger Dryas and Preboreal intervals, approximately 11,600 years ago. Assuming that past geological methane emissions were no lower than today, our results indicate that current estimates of today's natural geological methane emissions (about 52 teragrams per year) are too high and, by extension, that current estimates of anthropogenic fossil methane emissions are too low. Our results also improve on and confirm earlier findings that the rapid increase of about 50 per cent in mole fraction of atmospheric methane at the Younger Dryas-Preboreal event was driven by contemporaneous methane from sources such as wetlands; our findings constrain the contribution from old carbon reservoirs (marine methane hydrates, permafrost and methane trapped under ice) to 19 per cent or less (95 per cent confidence). To the extent that the characteristics of the most recent deglaciation and the Younger Dryas-Preboreal warming are comparable to those of the current anthropogenic warming, our measurements suggest that large future atmospheric releases of methane from old carbon sources are unlikely to occur.

Minimal geological methane emissions during the Younger Dryas-Preboreal abrupt warming event

Science.gov (United States)

Petrenko, Vasilii V.; Smith, Andrew M.; Schaefer, Hinrich; Riedel, Katja; Brook, Edward; Baggenstos, Daniel; Harth, Christina; Hua, Quan; Buizert, Christo; Schilt, Adrian; Fain, Xavier; Mitchell, Logan; Bauska, Thomas; Orsi, Anais; Weiss, Ray F.; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.

2017-08-01

Methane (CH4) is a powerful greenhouse gas and plays a key part in global atmospheric chemistry. Natural geological emissions (fossil methane vented naturally from marine and terrestrial seeps and mud volcanoes) are thought to contribute around 52 teragrams of methane per year to the global methane source, about 10 per cent of the total, but both bottom-up methods (measuring emissions) and top-down approaches (measuring atmospheric mole fractions and isotopes) for constraining these geological emissions have been associated with large uncertainties. Here we use ice core measurements to quantify the absolute amount of radiocarbon-containing methane (14CH4) in the past atmosphere and show that geological methane emissions were no higher than 15.4 teragrams per year (95 per cent confidence), averaged over the abrupt warming event that occurred between the Younger Dryas and Preboreal intervals, approximately 11,600 years ago. Assuming that past geological methane emissions were no lower than today, our results indicate that current estimates of today’s natural geological methane emissions (about 52 teragrams per year) are too high and, by extension, that current estimates of anthropogenic fossil methane emissions are too low. Our results also improve on and confirm earlier findings that the rapid increase of about 50 per cent in mole fraction of atmospheric methane at the Younger Dryas-Preboreal event was driven by contemporaneous methane from sources such as wetlands; our findings constrain the contribution from old carbon reservoirs (marine methane hydrates, permafrost and methane trapped under ice) to 19 per cent or less (95 per cent confidence). To the extent that the characteristics of the most recent deglaciation and the Younger Dryas-Preboreal warming are comparable to those of the current anthropogenic warming, our measurements suggest that large future atmospheric releases of methane from old carbon sources are unlikely to occur.

Four-dimensional variational data assimilation for inverse modelling of atmospheric methane emissions: method and comparison with synthesis inversion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. F. Meirink

2008-11-01

Full Text Available A four-dimensional variational (4D-Var data assimilation system for inverse modelling of atmospheric methane emissions is presented. The system is based on the TM5 atmospheric transport model. It can be used for assimilating large volumes of measurements, in particular satellite observations and quasi-continuous in-situ observations, and at the same time it enables the optimization of a large number of model parameters, specifically grid-scale emission rates. Furthermore, the variational method allows to estimate uncertainties in posterior emissions. Here, the system is applied to optimize monthly methane emissions over a 1-year time window on the basis of surface observations from the NOAA-ESRL network. The results are rigorously compared with an analogous inversion by Bergamaschi et al. (2007, which was based on the traditional synthesis approach. The posterior emissions as well as their uncertainties obtained in both inversions show a high degree of consistency. At the same time we illustrate the advantage of 4D-Var in reducing aggregation errors by optimizing emissions at the grid scale of the transport model. The full potential of the assimilation system is exploited in Meirink et al. (2008, who use satellite observations of column-averaged methane mixing ratios to optimize emissions at high spatial resolution, taking advantage of the zooming capability of the TM5 model.

Influence of environmental parameters on the concentration of subsurface dissolved methane in two hydroelectric power plants in Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, M. G.; Marani, L.; Alvala, P. C.

2013-12-01

Methane (CH4) is a trace gas in the atmosphere of great importance for atmospheric chemistry as one of the main greenhouse gases. There are different sources with the largest individual production associated with the degradation of organic matter submerged in flooded areas. The amount of dissolved methane that reaches the surface depends on the production in the sediments and consumption in the water column. Both processes are associated with microbial activity and consequently dependent on the physico-chemical environmental conditions. The construction of hydroelectric dams cause flooding of areas near the river that can change the characteristics of the environment and cause changes in subsurface methane concentration. In this work, we studied two hydroelectric plants located in Brazil: Batalha (17°20'39.52"S, 47°29'34.29"W), under construction when the samples were take, and Itaipu (25°24'45.00"S, 54°35'39.00"W) which has been floated over 30 years ago. The water samples to determine dissolved methane were collected approximately 5 cm near the surface. In each collection point was measured depth, water temperature, pH and redox potential. The range of dissolved methane between the two dams was similar: 0.07-10.33 μg/l (Batalha) and 0.15-10.93 μg/l (Itaipu). However, the Batalha's average (4.04 × 3.43 μg/l; median = 3.66 μg/l) was higher than that observed in Itaipu (2.15 × 1.59 μg/l; median = 2.53 μg/l). The influence of environmental parameters on the concentration of dissolved methane was evaluated by multivariate statistical techniques (Principal Component Analysis - PCA). All of the parameters had some correlation with dissolved methane, however, the greatest contribution in Batalha was associated with pH while in Itaipu was the depth. The pH variation of the various points studied in Batalha may be associated with periods of drought and flooding of the river and hence the incorporation of organic matter in the environment. The organisms

Plasma catalytic process for CO2 methanation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nizio, Magdalena

2016-01-01

The limited resources of oil and natural gas, together with an increasing energy demand, forces us to seek more and more efficient and cleaner energy production alternatives. Hydrogen has been recently considered as a promising energy carrier. However, there are several inherent problems to the utilization of H 2 , from its transportation to its distribution. Transformation of the H 2 molecule by fixing into a carbon-containing compound, i.e. CH 4 , will offer the possibility of using the conventional transportation network. Indeed, the Sabatier reaction, which is highly exothermic, involves the reaction of carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas in order to produce methane and water. This process, called methanation, represents a feasible approach contributing to the reduction of the CO 2 emissions in our atmosphere, through a closed carbon cycle involving the valorization of CO 2 , i.e. from capture. However, below a temperature of 250 C, the conversion becomes practically close to 0 %, whereas at higher temperatures, i.e., (≥300 C), the co-existence of secondary reactions favours the formation of CO and H 2 . This is the reason why new catalysts and process conditions are continuously being investigated in order to maximize the methane selectivity at low reaction temperatures at atmospheric pressure. Therefore, by using catalysts combined to Dielectric Barrier Discharge plasmas (DBD), the activation of the methanation reaction can be enhanced and overcome the drawbacks of existing conventional processes. Several Ni-containing catalysts were prepared using various ceria-zirconia oxides as supports, with different Ce/Zr ratios. The results obtained in the adiabatic conditions at low temperatures (ranging between 100-150 C), in the presence of catalysts activated by plasma, are promising. Indeed, the conversion of CO 2 to CH 4 is about 85 % with a selectivity close to 100 %. The same conversion in the absence of the plasma activation of the catalyst is observed at 350 C

Ethane's 12C/13C Ratio in Titan: Implications for Methane Replenishment

Science.gov (United States)

Jennings, Donald E.; Nixon, C. A.; Romani, P. N.; Bjoraker, G. L.; Sada, P. V.; Lunsford, A. W.; Boyle, R. J.; Hesman, B. E.; McCabe, G. H.

2009-01-01

As the .main destination of carbon in the destruction of methane in the atmosphere of Titan, ethane provides information about the carbon isotopic composition of the reservoir from which methane is replenished. If the amount of methane entering the atmosphere is presently equal to the amount converted to ethane, the 12C/13C ratio in ethane should be close to the ratio in the reservoir. We have measured the 12C/13C ratio in ethane both with Cassini CIRS(exp 1) and from the ground and find that it is very close to the telluric standard and outer planet values (89), consistent with a primordial origin for the methane reservoir. The lower 12C/13C ratio measured for methane by Huygens GCMS (82.3) can be explained if the conversion of CH4 to CH3 (and C2H6) favors 12C over 13C with a carbon kinetic isotope effect of 1.08. The time required for the atmospheric methane to reach equilibrium, i.e., for replenishment to equal destruction, is approximately 5 methane atmospheric lifetimes.

The Potential for Methane Isotopologue Channels in GOSAT-2

Science.gov (United States)

Malina, Edward; Yoshida, Yukio; Matsunaga, Tsuneo; Muller, Jan-Peter

2017-04-01

Of the major Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) currently considered as having a major impact on atmospheric chemistry, Methane is amongst the most important (IPCC, 2014). Methane concentration in the atmosphere has been documented to be rising steadily over the past century, aside from an unexplained short period in the middle of the last decade (Heimann., 2011), leading to renewed efforts to understand global atmospheric Methane. Atmospheric Methane is primarily composed of two key isotopologues, 12CH4 and 13CH4, which have a natural abundance of about 98% and 1.1% respectively. It is a well-established fact that different sources of Methane (i.e. biogenic sources such as methanogens, or non-biogenic such as industrial hydrocarbon burning) vary in the abundance of these isotopologues (Etiope, 2009). The global identification of the ratios of these isotopologues could vastly increase knowledge of global Methane sources, and shed some light on global Methane growth. GOSAT-2 due to be launched in 2018 is a follow on from the original GOSAT mission launched in 2009. GOSAT-2 aims to continue the legacy of GOSAT by providing global measurements of Methane and Carbon Dioxide on a global basis in order to monitor GHG emissions. GOSAT-2 in the context of this study has a significant advantage over GOSAT, which is the extension of the sensitivity of band 3 to 2330nm from 2080nm where significant numbers of Methane spectral lines are located. In this study we apply the well-established Information Content (IC) analysis techniques originally proposed by Rodgers (2000) to determine the potential benefit of retrieving total column Methane isotopologue concentrations assuming bands 2 and 3 of the GOSAT-2/TANSO-FTS-2 instrument. The value of such studies has been proven on multiple occasions and can provide guidance on appropriate potential retrieval setups. Due to the fact that there has been limited research in this area, no 'a priori' state vectors or Variance Covariance Matrices (VCMs

Simplifiying global biogeochemistry models to evaluate methane emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Gerber, S.; Alonso-Contes, C.

2017-12-01

Process-based models are important tools to quantify wetland methane emissions, particularly also under climate change scenarios, evaluating these models is often cumbersome as they are embedded in larger land-surface models where fluctuating water table and the carbon cycle (including new readily decomposable plant material) are predicted variables. Here, we build on these large scale models but instead of modeling water table and plant productivity we provide values as boundary conditions. In contrast, aerobic and anaerobic decomposition, as well as soil column transport of oxygen and methane are predicted by the model. Because of these simplifications, the model has the potential to be more readily adaptable to the analysis of field-scale data. Here we determine the sensitivity of the model to specific setups, parameter choices, and to boundary conditions in order to determine set-up needs and inform what critical auxiliary variables need to be measured in order to better predict field-scale methane emissions from wetland soils. To that end we performed a global sensitivity analysis that also considers non-linear interactions between processes. The global sensitivity analysis revealed, not surprisingly, that water table dynamics (both mean level and amplitude of fluctuations), and the rate of the carbon cycle (i.e. net primary productivity) are critical determinants of methane emissions. The depth-scale where most of the potential decomposition occurs also affects methane emissions. Different transport mechanisms are compensating each other to some degree: If plant conduits are constrained, methane emissions by diffusive flux and ebullition compensate to some degree, however annual emissions are higher when plants help to bypass methanotrophs in temporally unsaturated upper layers. Finally, while oxygen consumption by plant roots help creating anoxic conditions it has little effect on overall methane emission. Our initial sensitivity analysis helps guiding

Methane-oxidizing seawater microbial communities from an Arctic shelf

Science.gov (United States)

Uhlig, Christiane; Kirkpatrick, John B.; D'Hondt, Steven; Loose, Brice

2018-06-01

Marine microbial communities can consume dissolved methane before it can escape to the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. Seawater over the shallow Arctic shelf is characterized by excess methane compared to atmospheric equilibrium. This methane originates in sediment, permafrost, and hydrate. Particularly high concentrations are found beneath sea ice. We studied the structure and methane oxidation potential of the microbial communities from seawater collected close to Utqiagvik, Alaska, in April 2016. The in situ methane concentrations were 16.3 ± 7.2 nmol L-1, approximately 4.8 times oversaturated relative to atmospheric equilibrium. The group of methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) in the natural seawater and incubated seawater was > 97 % dominated by Methylococcales (γ-Proteobacteria). Incubations of seawater under a range of methane concentrations led to loss of diversity in the bacterial community. The abundance of MOB was low with maximal fractions of 2.5 % at 200 times elevated methane concentration, while sequence reads of non-MOB methylotrophs were 4 times more abundant than MOB in most incubations. The abundances of MOB as well as non-MOB methylotroph sequences correlated tightly with the rate constant (kox) for methane oxidation, indicating that non-MOB methylotrophs might be coupled to MOB and involved in community methane oxidation. In sea ice, where methane concentrations of 82 ± 35.8 nmol kg-1 were found, Methylobacterium (α-Proteobacteria) was the dominant MOB with a relative abundance of 80 %. Total MOB abundances were very low in sea ice, with maximal fractions found at the ice-snow interface (0.1 %), while non-MOB methylotrophs were present in abundances similar to natural seawater communities. The dissimilarities in MOB taxa, methane concentrations, and stable isotope ratios between the sea ice and water column point toward different methane dynamics in the two environments.

CARVE Measurements of Atmospheric Methane Concentrations and Emissions in Arctic and Boreal Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, C. E.; Miller, J. B.; Chang, R. Y.; Sweeney, C.; Karion, A.; Wofsy, S. C.; Henderson, J.; Eluszkiewicz, J.; Mountain, M.; Oechel, W. C.

2013-12-01

The Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment (CARVE) is a NASA Earth Ventures (EV-1) investigation designed to quantify correlations between atmospheric and surface state variables for the Alaskan terrestrial ecosystems through intensive seasonal aircraft campaigns, ground-based observations, and analysis sustained over a 5-year mission. CARVE bridges critical gaps in our knowledge and understanding of Arctic ecosystems, linkages between the Arctic hydrologic and terrestrial carbon cycles, and the feedbacks from fires and thawing permafrost. We present CARVE airborne measurements of spatial and temporal patterns in atmospheric CH4 concentrations and estimated surface-atmosphere emissions for Arctic and Boreal Alaska. Continuous in situ CH4, CO2 and CO data are supplemented by periodic whole air flask samples from which 13CH4 and non-methane hydrocarbons are used to assess the relative contributions of wetlands, fossil fuel combustion, and oil and gas production to the observed CH4 signals. The CARVE project has also initiated monthly 14CH4 sampling at Barrow, AK (BRW) and the CARVE Tower in Fox, AK (CRV) to evaluate seasonal changes in the fraction of old carbon being mobilized via methanogenesis.

Methane source identification in Boston, Massachusetts using isotopic and ethane measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Down, A.; Jackson, R. B.; Plata, D.; McKain, K.; Wofsy, S. C.; Rella, C.; Crosson, E.; Phillips, N. G.

2012-12-01

Methane has substantial greenhouse warming potential and is the principle component of natural gas. Fugitive natural gas emissions could be a significant source of methane to the atmosphere. However, the cumulative magnitude of natural gas leaks is not yet well constrained. We used a combination of point source measurements and ambient monitoring to characterize the methane sources in the Boston urban area. We developed distinct fingerprints for natural gas and multiple biogenic methane sources based on hydrocarbon concentration and isotopic composition. We combine these data with periodic measurements of atmospheric methane and ethane concentration to estimate the fractional contribution of natural gas and biogenic methane sources to the cumulative urban methane flux in Boston. These results are used to inform an inverse model of urban methane concentration and emissions.

Methane from dairy waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1982-10-22

This short article describes a facility which will incorporate features to allow for the recovery of the methane gas that is produced in the manufacture of cheese and spray-dried whey powder at the site. The dairy plant is expected to produce about 1,385 m/sup 3//day of methane which will supplement the operation of oil burners and replace the annual consumption of 4,000 bbl of heavy fuel oil. In addition, development of the treatment system would eliminate the consumption of 7,200 kWh/day of electrical energy that would otherwise be required to operate an aerobic disposal system. Total annual energy savings, when the project is fully operational in the spring of 1984, are expected to reach $321,000.

Greenhouse effect contributions of US landfill methane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Augenstein, D.

1991-01-01

The greenhouse effect has recently been receiving a great deal of scientific and popular attention. The term refers to a cause-and-effect relationship in which ''heat blanketing'' of the earth, due to trace gas increases in the atmosphere, is expected to result in global warming. The trace gases are increasing as the result of human activities. Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is the trace gas contributing most importantly to the ''heat blanketing'' and currently receives the most attention. Less widely recognized has been the high importance of methane (CH 4 ). Methane's contribution to the increased heat blanketing occurring since 1980 is estimated to be over a third as much as that of carbon dioxide. Gas from landfills has in turn been recognized to be a source of methane to the atmospheric buildup. However the magnitude of the landfill methane contribution, and the overall significance of landfill methane to the greenhouse phenomenon has been uncertain and the subject of some debate. (Author)

Mars methane rises and falls with the seasons

Science.gov (United States)

Hand, Eric

2018-01-01

On Earth, atmospheric methane is a prominent sign of life. On Mars, the story is more complicated. Trace detections of methane, alongside glimpses of larger spikes, have fueled debates about biological and nonbiological sources of the gas. Now, NASA scientists have announced a new twist in the tale: Methane regularly rises to a peak in late northern summer in a seasonal pattern. The swings are larger than can be explained by the planet's seasonal freeze-thaw cycles. The wiggles are a mystery within a larger mystery: claims of methane spikes an order of magnitude or two higher than the background. Some scientists say meteor showers could be responsible, by depositing carbonaceous material in the atmosphere that reacts to form methane. A close encounter on 24 January with debris from a comet could provide a chance to test the hypothesis.

Widespread Methane Leakage from the Seafloor on the Northern US Atlantic Margin

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Methane emissions from the sea floor affect methane inputs into the atmosphere, ocean acidification and de-oxygenation, the distribution of chemosynthetic...

Methane as a climate gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karlsdottir, S.

1996-03-01

This paper was read at the workshop ``The Norwegian Climate and Ozone Research Programme`` held on 11-12 March 1996. Methane is a key component in the atmosphere where its concentration has increased rapidly since pre-industrial time. About 2/3 of it is caused by human activities. Changes in methane will affect the concentrations of other gases, and a model is a very important tool to study sensitivity due to changes in concentration of gases. The author used a three-dimensional global chemistry transport model to study the effect of changes in methane concentration on other trace gases. The model includes natural and anthropogenic emissions of NOx, CO, CH{sub 4} and non-methane hydrocarbons. Wet and dry deposition are also included. The chemical scheme in the model includes 49 compounds, 101 reactions, and 16 photolytic reactions. The trace gas concentrations are calculated every 30 min, using a quasi steady state approximation. Model calculations of three cases are reported and compared. Enhanced methane concentration will have strongest effect in remote regions. In polluted areas local chemistry will have remarked effect. The feedback was always positive. Average atmospheric lifetime calculated in the model was 7.6 years, which agrees with recent estimates based on observations. 8 refs.

Characterization of Methane Degradation and Methane-Degrading Microbes in Alaska Coastal Water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kirchman, David L. [Univ. of Delaware, Lewes, DE (United States)

2012-03-29

The net flux of methane from methane hydrates and other sources to the atmosphere depends on methane degradation as well as methane production and release from geological sources. The goal of this project was to examine methane-degrading archaea and organic carbon oxidizing bacteria in methane-rich and methane-poor sediments of the Beaufort Sea, Alaska. The Beaufort Sea system was sampled as part of a multi-disciplinary expedition (Methane in the Arctic Shelf or MIDAS) in September 2009. Microbial communities were examined by quantitative PCR analyses of 16S rRNA genes and key methane degradation genes (pmoA and mcrA involved in aerobic and anaerobic methane degradation, respectively), tag pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes to determine the taxonomic make up of microbes in these sediments, and sequencing of all microbial genes (metagenomes ). The taxonomic and functional make-up of the microbial communities varied with methane concentrations, with some data suggesting higher abundances of potential methane-oxidizing archaea in methane-rich sediments. Sequence analysis of PCR amplicons revealed that most of the mcrA genes were from the ANME-2 group of methane oxidizers. According to metagenomic data, genes involved in methane degradation and other degradation pathways changed with sediment depth along with sulfate and methane concentrations. Most importantly, sulfate reduction genes decreased with depth while the anaerobic methane degradation gene (mcrA) increased along with methane concentrations. The number of potential methane degradation genes (mcrA) was low and inconsistent with other data indicating the large impact of methane on these sediments. The data can be reconciled if a small number of potential methane-oxidizing archaea mediates a large flux of carbon in these sediments. Our study is the first to report metagenomic data from sediments dominated by ANME-2 archaea and is one of the few to examine the entire microbial assemblage potentially involved in

Atmospheric Methane Enhancements Related with Natural Gas Usage in the Greater Houston Area

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez, N. P.; Zheng, C.; Ye, W.; Czader, B.; Cohan, D. S.; Tittel, F. K.; Griffin, R. J.

2017-12-01

Natural gas (NG) usage as a replacement of oil and coal has increased significantly in the U.S in recent years. Despite the benefits associated with this fuel, leakage from NG distribution systems and in-use uncombusted NG (e.g., compressed natural gas vehicles) can be relevant sources of methane (CH4) emissions in urban centers. Methane, the main constituent of NG, is a potent greenhouse gas impacting the chemistry of the atmosphere, whose emission might outweigh the potential environmental advantages of NG use. Although the Greater Houston area (GHA) is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S, no studies on the potential impact of NG usage on atmospheric CH4 levels have been published in the scientific literature to date. In this work, a mobile-based study of CH4 and ethane (C2H6) concentration levels in eight residential zones with different expected probability of NG leakage in the GHA was conducted in the summer of 2016. A novel laser-based sensor system for simultaneous detection of CH4 and C2H6 was developed and deployed in a mid-sized vehicle, and monitoring of these gas species was conducted for over 14 days covering 250 road miles. Both linear discriminant and cluster analyses were performed to assess the spatial variability of atmospheric CH4 concentrations in the GHA. These analyses showed clear differences in the CH4 mixing ratios in an inter- and intra-neighborhood level and indicated the presence of high CH4 concentration clusters mainly located in the central and west central parts of the GHA. Source discrimination analyses based on orthogonal regression analysis and a Keeling-like plot method were conducted to establish the predominant origin of CH4 in the identified high concentration clusters and in over 30 CH4 concentration peaks observed during the field campaign. Results of these analyses indicate that thermogenic sources of CH4 (e.g., NG) were predominant in short-duration concentration spikes (lasting less than 10 minutes), while CH4

Clumped isotope effects during OH and Cl oxidation of methane

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Whitehill, Andrew R.; Joelsson, Lars Magnus T.; Schmidt, Johan Albrecht

2017-01-01

A series of experiments were carried out to determine the clumped (13CH3D) methane kinetic isotope effects during oxidation of methane by OH and Cl radicals, the major sink reactions for atmospheric methane. Experiments were performed in a 100 L quartz photochemical reactor, in which OH was produ......A series of experiments were carried out to determine the clumped (13CH3D) methane kinetic isotope effects during oxidation of methane by OH and Cl radicals, the major sink reactions for atmospheric methane. Experiments were performed in a 100 L quartz photochemical reactor, in which OH...... effects for singly substituted species were consistent with previous experimental studies. For doubly substituted methane, 13CH3D, the observed kinetic isotope effects closely follow the product of the kinetic isotope effects for the 13C and deuterium substituted species (i.e., 13,2KIE = 13KIE × 2KIE...... reactions. In a closed system, however, this effect is overtaken by the large D/H isotope effect, which causes the residual methane to become anti-clumped relative to the initial methane. Based on these results, we demonstrate that oxidation of methane by OH, the predominant oxidant for tropospheric methane...

Methane hydrate stability and anthropogenic climate change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Archer

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Methane frozen into hydrate makes up a large reservoir of potentially volatile carbon below the sea floor and associated with permafrost soils. This reservoir intuitively seems precarious, because hydrate ice floats in water, and melts at Earth surface conditions. The hydrate reservoir is so large that if 10% of the methane were released to the atmosphere within a few years, it would have an impact on the Earth's radiation budget equivalent to a factor of 10 increase in atmospheric CO₂.

Hydrates are releasing methane to the atmosphere today in response to anthropogenic warming, for example along the Arctic coastline of Siberia. However most of the hydrates are located at depths in soils and ocean sediments where anthropogenic warming and any possible methane release will take place over time scales of millennia. Individual catastrophic releases like landslides and pockmark explosions are too small to reach a sizable fraction of the hydrates. The carbon isotopic excursion at the end of the Paleocene has been interpreted as the release of thousands of Gton C, possibly from hydrates, but the time scale of the release appears to have been thousands of years, chronic rather than catastrophic.

The potential climate impact in the coming century from hydrate methane release is speculative but could be comparable to climate feedbacks from the terrestrial biosphere and from peat, significant but not catastrophic. On geologic timescales, it is conceivable that hydrates could release as much carbon to the atmosphere/ocean system as we do by fossil fuel combustion.

Atmospheric Methane Measurements from an Aircraft Based at NASA Ames: Five Years of Observations by the AJAX Project

Science.gov (United States)

Iraci, Laura

2016-01-01

The Alpha Jet Atmospheric eXperiment (AJAX) is a research project based at Moffett Field, CA, which collects airborne measurements of ozone, carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and formaldehyde, as well as 3-D winds, temperature, pressure, and location. Since its first science flight in 2011, AJAX has developed a wide a variety of mission types, combining vertical profiles (from approx. 8 km to near surface),boundary layer legs, and plume sampling as needed. With an ongoing five-year data set, the team has sampled over 160 vertical profiles, a dozen wildfires, and numerous stratospheric ozone intrusions. This talk will present an overview of our flights flown to date, with particular focus on methane observations in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, and the delta region.

Methane fluxes from tropical coastal lagoons surrounded by mangroves, Yucatán, Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Chuang, P.-C.; Young, M. B.; Dale, A. W.; Miller, L. G.; Herrera-Silveira, J. A.; Paytan, A.

2017-05-01

Methane concentrations in the water column and emissions to the atmosphere were determined for three tropical coastal lagoons surrounded by mangrove forests on the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. Surface water dissolved methane was sampled at different seasons over a period of 2 years in areas representing a wide range of salinities and anthropogenic impacts. The highest surface water methane concentrations (up to 8378 nM) were measured in a polluted canal associated with Terminos Lagoon. In Chelem Lagoon, methane concentrations were typically lower, except in the polluted harbor area (1796 nM). In the relatively pristine Celestún Lagoon, surface water methane concentrations ranged from 41 to 2551 nM. Methane concentrations were negatively correlated with salinity in Celestún, while in Chelem and Terminos high methane concentrations were associated with areas of known pollution inputs, irrespective of salinity. The diffusive methane flux from surface lagoon water to the atmosphere ranged from 0.0023 to 15 mmol CH4 m-2 d-1. Flux chamber measurements revealed that direct methane release as ebullition was up to 3 orders of magnitude greater than measured diffusive flux. Coastal mangrove lagoons may therefore be an important natural source of methane to the atmosphere despite their relatively high salinity. Pollution inputs are likely to substantially enhance this flux. Additional statistically rigorous data collected globally are needed to better consider methane fluxes from mangrove-surrounded coastal areas in response to sea level changes and anthropogenic pollution in order to refine projections of future atmospheric methane budgets.

Methane emission to the atmosphere from landfills in the Canary Islands

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández, Pedro A.; Asensio-Ramos, María; Rodríguez, Fátima; Alonso, Mar; García-Merino, Marta; Amonte, Cecilia; Melián, Gladys V.; Barrancos, José; Rodríguez-Delgado, Miguel A.; Hernández-Abad, Marta; Pérez, Erica; Alonso, Monica; Tassi, Franco; Raco, Brunella; Pérez, Nemesio M.

2017-04-01

Methane (CH4) is one of the most powerful greenhouse gases, and is increasing in the atmosphere by 0.6% each year (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, 2013). This gas is produced in landfills in large quantities following the anaerobic degradation of organic matter. The IPCC has estimated that more than 10% of the total anthropogenic emissions of CH4 are originated in landfills. Even after years of being no operative (closed), a significant amount of landfill gas could be released to the atmosphere through its surface as diffuse or fugitive degassing. Many landfills currently report their CH4 emissions to the atmosphere using model-based methods, which are based on the rate of production of CH4, the oxidation rate of CH4 and the amount of CH4 recovered (Bingemer and Crutzen, 1987). This approach often involves large uncertainties due to inaccuracies of input data and many assumptions in the estimation. In fact, the estimated CH4 emissions from landfills in the Canary Islands published by the Spanish National Emission and Pollutant Sources Registration (PRTR-Spain) seem to be overestimated due to the use of protocols and analytical methodologies based on mathematical models. For this reason, direct measurements to estimate CH4 emissions in landfills are essential to reduce this uncertainty. In order to estimate the CH4 emissions to the atmosphere from landfills in the Canary Islands 23 surveys have been performed since 1999. Each survey implies hundreds of CO2and CH4 efflux measurements covering the landfill surface area. Surface landfill CO2 efflux measurements were carried out at each sampling site by means of a portable non-dispersive infrared spectrophotometer (NDIR) model LICOR Li800 following the accumulation chamber method. Samples of landfill gases were taken in the gas accumulated in the chamber and CO2 and CH4 were analyzed using a double channel VARIAN 4900 micro-GC. The CH4 efflux measurent was computed combining CO2 efflux and CH4/CO2 ratio

Mitigation and recovery of methane emissions from tropical hydroelectric dams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bambace, L.A.W.; Ramos, F.M.; Lima, I.B.T.; Rosa, R.R. [Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE), Sao Jose dos Campos (Brazil)

2007-06-15

Tropical hydroelectric reservoirs generally constitute an appreciable source of methane to the atmosphere. This paper proposes simple mitigation and recovery procedures to substantially reduce atmospheric methane emissions from hydroelectric reservoirs. We aim at transforming existing methane stocks of tropical reservoirs into a clean, renewable energy source. The recovered gas methane may be pumped to large consuming centers, stocked locally and burned in gas turbines to generate electricity during high demand periods, or even purified for transport applications. Our simulations show that the use of biogenic methane may increase considerably the energy supply in countries like Brazil. As a result, it would be possible to reduce the need of additional hydroelectric dams, protecting important pristine biomes, and avoiding the resettlement of villages and indigenous reserves. (author)

Low Upper Limit to Methane Abundance on Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, Christopher R.; Mahaffy, Paul R.; Atreya, Sushil K.; Flesch, Gregory J.; Farley, Kenneth A.; Kemppinen, Osku; Bridges, Nathan; Johnson, Jeffrey R.; Minitti, Michelle; Cremers, David; Bell, James F.; Edgar, Lauren; Farmer, Jack; Godber, Austin; Wadhwa, Meenakshi; Wellington, Danika; McEwan, Ian; Newman, Claire; Richardson, Mark; Charpentier, Antoine; Peret, Laurent; King, Penelope; Blank, Jennifer; Weigle, Gerald; Schmidt, Mariek; Li, Shuai; Milliken, Ralph; Robertson, Kevin; Sun, Vivian; Baker, Michael; Edwards, Christopher; Ehlmann, Bethany; Farley, Kenneth; Griffes, Jennifer; Grotzinger, John; Miller, Hayden; Newcombe, Megan; Pilorget, Cedric; Rice, Melissa; Siebach, Kirsten; Stack, Katie; Stolper, Edward; Brunet, Claude; Hipkin, Victoria; Léveillé, Richard; Marchand, Geneviève; Sánchez, Pablo Sobrón; Favot, Laurent; Cody, George; Steele, Andrew; Flückiger, Lorenzo; Lees, David; Nefian, Ara; Martin, Mildred; Gailhanou, Marc; Westall, Frances; Israël, Guy; Agard, Christophe; Baroukh, Julien; Donny, Christophe; Gaboriaud, Alain; Guillemot, Philippe; Lafaille, Vivian; Lorigny, Eric; Paillet, Alexis; Pérez, René; Saccoccio, Muriel; Yana, Charles; Armiens-Aparicio, Carlos; Rodríguez, Javier Caride; Blázquez, Isaías Carrasco; Gómez, Felipe Gómez; Elvira, Javier Gómez; Hettrich, Sebastian; Malvitte, Alain Lepinette; Jiménez, Mercedes Marín; Martínez-Frías, Jesús; Soler, Javier Martín; Martín-Torres, F. 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2013-10-01

By analogy with Earth, methane in the Martian atmosphere is a potential signature of ongoing or past biological activity. During the past decade, Earth-based telescopic observations reported “plumes” of methane of tens of parts per billion by volume (ppbv), and those from Mars orbit showed localized patches, prompting speculation of sources from subsurface bacteria or nonbiological sources. From in situ measurements made with the Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS) on Curiosity using a distinctive spectral pattern specific to methane, we report no detection of atmospheric methane with a measured value of 0.18 ± 0.67 ppbv corresponding to an upper limit of only 1.3 ppbv (95% confidence level), which reduces the probability of current methanogenic microbial activity on Mars and limits the recent contribution from extraplanetary and geologic sources.

A New Appraisal of Northern Peatlands and Global Atmospheric Methane Over the Holocene

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, G. M.; Holmquist, J. R.; Kremenetski, K.; Loisel, J.

2015-12-01

Use of large databases of peat cores to examine linkages between northern peatlands and atmospheric CH4 over the Holocene has been prone to uncertainties regarding 1. comparability of radiocarbon techniques and material dated, 2. appropriate summed probability distributions, 3. spatial representativeness of the sites, particularly in capturing sites south of the subarctic, 4. potential impacts of local lateral peatland expansion versus continental-scale peatland initiation, particularly in the late Holocene, and 5. impacts of changes in the proportion of high methane-producing fens vs Sphagnum bogs. We present a comparison of radiocarbon measurements from conventional counts, atomic mass spectrometry and differing peat materials to demonstrate a general compatibility of the various types of dates. We compare and apply several summed probability distribution methods to minimize any statistical bias in our analysis. We then present our analysis of a new data set of 7571 peatland cores from 4420 sites that extend into the temperate zone. Of these, 3732 cores inform on lateral expansion and 329 dates constrain the timing of fen-bog transition. Based on these data in original and gridded form we show that widespread peat initiation commenced at 16 kcal yr BP and reached a maximum rate at 11-8 kcal yr BP. Most sites began as fens, and peak transition to bogs occurred between 5 and 3 kcal yr BP, with a 1000 year lag between Eurasia and North America. There is no global late Holocene increase in lateral expansion. Based on modeled northern peatland area and ratio of fen/bog sites, CH4 production from northern peatlands increased rapidly from 11 to 9 cal yr BP, followed by slower increase until reaching a maximum at 5 kcal yr BP at 25 Tg per yr. From 4 kcal yr BP to Present, bogs become a dominant feature in the northern peatland landscape and CH4 production decreased to reach modern-day levels at about 20 Tg per yr. Northern peatlands have been a key infleunce on global

Global diffusive fluxes of methane in marine sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Egger, Matthias; Riedinger, Natascha; Mogollón, José M.; Jørgensen, Bo Barker

2018-06-01

Anaerobic oxidation of methane provides a globally important, yet poorly constrained barrier for the vast amounts of methane produced in the subseafloor. Here we provide a global map and budget of the methane flux and degradation in diffusion-controlled marine sediments in relation to the depth of the methane oxidation barrier. Our new budget suggests that 45-61 Tg of methane are oxidized with sulfate annually, with approximately 80% of this oxidation occurring in continental shelf sediments (methane in steady-state diffusive sediments, we calculate that 3-4% of the global organic carbon flux to the seafloor is converted to methane. We further report a global imbalance of diffusive methane and sulfate fluxes into the sulfate-methane transition with no clear trend with respect to the corresponding depth of the methane oxidation barrier. The observed global mean net flux ratio between sulfate and methane of 1.4:1 indicates that, on average, the methane flux to the sulfate-methane transition accounts for only 70% of the sulfate consumption in the sulfate-methane transition zone of marine sediments.

Role of carboxydobacteria in consumption of atmospheric carbon monoxide by soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conrad, R. (Max-Planck-Institut fuer Chemie, Mainz, Germany); Meyer, O.; Seiler, W.

1981-08-01

The carbon monoxide consumption rates of the carboxydobacteria Pseudomonas (Seliberia) carboxydohydrogena, P. carboxydovorans, and P. carboxydoflava were measured at high (50%) and low (0.5 ..mu..l liter/sup -1/) mixing ratios of CO in air. CO was only consumed when the bacteria had been grown under CO-autotrophic conditions. At low cell densities the CO comsumption rates measured at low CO mixing ratios were similar in cell suspensions and in mixtures of bacteria in soil. CO consumption observed in natural soil (loess, eolian sand, chernozem) as well as in suspensions or soil mixtures of carboxydobacteria showed Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Considering the difference of the K/sub m/, values and the observed V/sub max/ values, carboxydobacteria cannot contribute significantly to the consumption of atmospheric CO.

Australian methane fluxes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, D.J.

1990-01-01

Estimates are provided for the amount of methane emitted annually into the atmosphere in Australia for a variety of sources. The sources considered are coal mining, landfill, motor vehicles, natural gas suply system, rice paddies, bushfires, termites, wetland and animals. This assessment indicates that the major sources of methane are natural or agricultural in nature and therefore offer little scope for reduction. Nevertheless the remainder are not trival and reduction of these fluxes could play a significant part in any Australian action on the greenhouse problem. 19 refs., 7 tabs., 1 fig

The Global Methane Budget 2000-2012

Science.gov (United States)

Saunois, Marielle; Bousquet, Philippe; Poulter, Benjamin; Peregon, Anna; Ciais, Philippe; Canadell, Josep G.; Dlugokencky, Edward J.; Etiope, Giuseppe; Bastviken, David; Houweling, Sander;

Quantification of seep-related methane gas emissions at Tommeliten, North Sea

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schneider von Deimling, J.S.; Rehder, G.; Greinert, J.; McGinnnis, D.F.; Boetius, A.; Linke, P.

2011-01-01

Tommeliten is a prominent methane seep area in the Central North Sea. Previous surveys revealed shallow gas-bearing sediments and methane gas ebullition into the water column. In this study, the in situ methane flux at Tommeliten is re-assessed and the potential methane transport to the atmosphere

Methanation of Carbon Dioxide

OpenAIRE

Goodman, Daniel Jacob

2013-01-01

The emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere has been linked to global warming. Carbon dioxide's (CO2) one of the most abundant greenhouse gases. Natural gas, mainly methane, is the cleanest fossil fuel for electricity production helping meet the United States ever growing energy needs. The methanation of CO2 has the potential to address both of these problems if a catalyst can be developed that meets the activity, economic and environmental requirements to industrialize the process. ...

Methane Fluxes in West Siberia: 3-D Regional Model Simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jagovkina, S. V.; Karol, I. L.; Zubov, V. A.; Lagun, V. E.; Reshetnikov, A. I.; Rozanov, E. V.

2001-01-01

The West Siberian region is one of the main contributors of the atmospheric greenhouse gas methane due to the large areas of wetlands, rivers, lakes and numerous gas deposits situated there.But there are no reliable estimations of integral methane flux from this area into the atmosphere. For assessment of methane fluxes in West Siberia the specially constructed 3-D regional chemical transport model was applied. The 3-D distribution of methane is calculated on the basis of the current meteorological data fields(wind, temperature, geopotential) updated 4 times a day. The methane concentrations measured near the main gas fields of West Siberia in the summer season of 1999, were used for correction of methane flux intensity estimates obtained previously by comparison of measurements carried out in summer 1993 and 1996 with modelled methane mixing ratio distribution. This set of field and model experiments confirmed the preliminary conclusion about low leakage intensity: anthropogenic methane flux does not exceed 5-15% of total summer methane flux, estimated as 11-12 Mt CH 4 in summer from this region, in spite of the large areas of gas deposits located there

The integrated nitrous oxide and methane grassland project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leffelaar, P.A.; Langeveld, C.A.; Hofman, J.E.; Segers, R.; Van den Pol-van Dasselaar, A.; Goudriaan, J.; Rabbinge, R.; Oenema, O. [Department of Theoretical Production Ecology, Wageningen Agricultural University, Wageningen (Netherlands)

2000-07-01

The integrated nitrous oxide (N{sub 2}O) and methane (CH{sub 4}) grassland project aims to estimate and explain emissions of these greenhouse gases from two ecosystems, namely drained agricultural peat soil under grass at the experimental farm Zegveld and undrained peat in the nature preserve Nieuwkoopse Plassen, both Netherlands. Peat soils were chosen because of their expected considerable contribution to the greenhouse gas budget considering the prevailing wet and partial anaerobic conditions. The emission dynamics of these ecosystems are considered representatives of large peat areas because the underlying processes are rather general and driven by variables like organic matter characteristics, water and nutrient conditions and type of vegetation. The research approach comprises measurements and modelling at different integration levels relating to the microbiology of the production and consumption of N{sub 2}O and CH{sub 4} (laboratory studies), their movement through peat soil (rhizolab and field studies), and the resulting fluxes (field studies). Typical emissions from drained soil were 15-40 kg ha{sup -1} y{sup -1} N{sub 2}O and virtually zero for CH{sub 4}. The undrained soil in the nature preserve emitted 100-280 kg ha{sup -1} y{sup -1} CH{sub 4}, and probably little N{sub 2}O. The process knowledge, collected and partly integrated in the models, helps to explain these data. For example, the low methane emission from drained peat can more coherently be understood and extrapolated because: (1) upper soil layers are aerobic, thus limiting methane production and stimulating methane oxidation, (2) absence of aerenchymatous roots of wetland plants that connect deeper anaerobic soil layers where methane is produced to the atmosphere and supply labile carbon, (3) a low methane production potential in deep layers due to the low decomposability of organic matter, and (4) long anaerobic periods needed in the topsoil to develop a methane production potential. This

Mars methane detection and variability at Gale crater

Science.gov (United States)

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Douglas; Sutter, Brad; Coll, Patrice; Freissinet, Caroline; McKay, Christopher P.; Moores, John E.; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Bridges, John C.; Navarro-Gonzalez, Rafael; Gellert, Ralf; Lemmon, Mark T.; MSL Science Team; Abbey, William; Achilles, Cherie; Agard, Christophe; Alexandre Alves Verdasca, José; Anderson, Dana; Anderson, Robert C.; Anderson, Ryan B.; Appel, Jan Kristoffer; Archer, Paul Douglas; Arevalo, Ricardo; Armiens-Aparicio, Carlos; Arvidson, Raymond; Atlaskin, Evgeny; Atreya, Andrew Sushil; Azeez, Aubrey Sherif; Baker, Burt; Baker, Michael; Balic-Zunic, Tonci; Baratoux, David; Baroukh, Julien; Barraclough, Bruce; Battalio, Michael; Beach, Michael; Bean, Keri; Beck, Pierre; Becker, Richard; Beegle, Luther; Behar, Alberto; Belgacem, Inès; Bell, James F., III; Bender, Steven; Benna, Mehdi; Bentz, Jennifer; Berger, Jeffrey; Berger, Thomas; Berlanga, Genesis; Berman, Daniel; Bish, David; Blacksberg, Jordana; Blake, David F.; José Blanco, Juan; Blaney, Ávalos Diana; Blank, Jennifer; Blau, Hannah; Bleacher, Lora; Boehm, Eckart; Bonnet, Jean-Yves; Botta, Oliver; Böttcher, Stephan; Boucher, Thomas; Bower, Hannah; Boyd, Nick; Boynton, William; Braswell, Shaneen; Breves, Elly; Bridges, John C.; Bridges, Nathan; Brinckerhoff, William; Brinza, David; Bristow, Thomas; Brunet, Claude; Brunner, Anna; Brunner, Will; Buch, Arnaud; Bullock, Mark; Burmeister, Sönke; Burton, John; Buz, Jennifer; Cabane, Michel; Calef, Fred; Cameron, James; Campbell, John L.; Cantor, Bruce; Caplinger, Michael; Clifton, Carey, Jr.; Caride Rodríguez, Javier; Carmosino, Marco; Carrasco Blázquez, Isaías; Cavanagh, Patrick; Charpentier, Antoine; Chipera, Steve; Choi, David; Christensen, Lance; Clark, Benton; Clegg, Sam; Cleghorn, Timothy; Cloutis, Ed; Cody, George; Coll, Patrice; Coman, Ecaterina I.; Conrad, Pamela; Coscia, David; Cousin, Agnès; Cremers, David; Crisp, Joy A.; Cropper, Kevin; Cros, Alain; Cucinotta, Francis; d'Uston, Claude; Davis, Scott; Day, Mackenzie; Daydou, Yves; DeFlores, Lauren; Dehouck, Erwin; Delapp, Dorothea; DeMarines, Julia; Dequaire, Tristan; Des Marais, David; Desrousseaux, Roch; Dietrich, William; Dingler, Robert; Domagal-Goldman, Shawn; Donny, Christophe; Downs, Robert; Drake, Darrell; Dromart, Gilles; Dupont, Audrey; Duston, Brian; Dworkin, Jason P.; Dyar, M. Darby; Edgar, Lauren; Edgett, Kenneth; Edwards, Christopher S.; Edwards, Laurence; Edwards, Peter; Ehlmann, Bethany; Ehresmann, Bent; Eigenbrode, Jennifer; Elliott, Beverley; Elliott, Harvey; Ewing, Ryan; Fabre, Cécile; Fairén, Alberto; Fairén, Alberto; Farley, Kenneth; Farmer, Jack; Fassett, Caleb; Favot, Laurent; Fay, Donald; Fedosov, Fedor; Feldman, Jason; Fendrich, Kim; Fischer, Erik; Fisk, Martin; Fitzgibbon, Mike; Flesch, Gregory; Floyd, Melissa; Flückiger, Lorenzo; Forni, Olivier; Fox, Valerie; Fraeman, Abigail; Francis, Raymond; François, Pascaline; Franz, Heather; Freissinet, Caroline; French, Katherine Louise; Frydenvang, Jens; Garvin, James; Gasnault, Olivier; Geffroy, Claude; Gellert, Ralf; Genzer, Maria; Getty, Stephanie; Glavin, Daniel; Godber, Austin; Goesmann, Fred; Goetz, Walter; Golovin, Dmitry; Gómez Gómez, Felipe; Gómez-Elvira, Javier; Gondet, Brigitte; Gordon, Suzanne; Gorevan, Stephen; Graham, Heather; Grant, John; Grinspoon, David; Grotzinger, John; Guillemot, Philippe; Guo, Jingnan; Gupta, Sanjeev; Guzewich, Scott; Haberle, Robert; Halleaux, Douglas; Hallet, Bernard; Hamilton, Victoria; Hand, Kevin; Hardgrove, Craig; Hardy, Keian; Harker, David; Harpold, Daniel; Harri, Ari-Matti; Harshman, Karl; Hassler, Donald; Haukka, Harri; Hayes, Alexander; Herkenhoff, Kenneth; Herrera, Paul; Hettrich, Sebastian; Heydari, Ezat; Hipkin, Victoria; Hoehler, Tori; Hollingsworth, Jeff; Hudgins, Judy; Huntress, Wesley; Hurowitz, Joel; Hviid, Stubbe; Iagnemma, Karl; Indyk, Stephen; Israël, Guy; Jackson, Ryan Steele; Jacob, Samantha; Jakosky, Bruce; Jean-Rigaud, Laurent; Jensen, Elsa; Kløvgaard Jensen, Jaqueline; Johnson, Jeffrey R.; Johnson, Micah; Johnstone, Stephen; Jones, Andrea; Jones, John H.; Joseph, Jonathan; Joulin, Mélissa; Jun, Insoo; Kah, Linda C.; Kahanpää, Henrik; Kahre, Melinda; Kaplan, Hannah; Karpushkina, Natalya; Kashyap, Srishti; Kauhanen, Janne; Keely, Leslie; Kelley, Simon; Kempe, Fabian; Kemppinen, Osku; Kennedy, Megan R.; Keymeulen, Didier; Kharytonov, Alexander; Kim, Myung-Hee; Kinch, Kjartan; King, Penelope; Kirk, Randolph; Kirkland, Laurel; Kloos, Jacob; Kocurek, Gary; Koefoed, Asmus; Köhler, Jan; Kortmann, Onno; Kotrc, Benjamin; Kozyrev, Alexander; Krau, Johannes; Krezoski, ß. Gillian; Kronyak, Rachel; Krysak, Daniel; Kuzmin, Ruslan; Lacour, Jean-Luc; Lafaille, Vivian; Langevin, Yves; Lanza, Nina; Lapôtre, Mathieu; Larif, Marie-France; Lasue, Jérémie; Le Deit, Laetitia; Le Mouélic, Stéphane; Lee, Ella Mae; Lee, Qiu-Mei; Lee, Rebekka; Lees, David; Lefavor, Matthew; Lemmon, Mark; Lepinette, Alain; Lepore, Malvitte Kate; Leshin, Laurie; Léveillé, Richard; Lewin, Éric; Lewis, Kevin; Li, Shuai; Lichtenberg, Kimberly; Lipkaman, Leslie; Lisov, Denis; Little, Cynthia; Litvak, Maxim; Liu, Lu; Lohf, Henning; Lorigny, Eric; Lugmair, Günter; Lundberg, Angela; Lyness, Eric; Madsen, Morten Bo; Magee, Angela; Mahaffy, Paul; Maki, Justin; Mäkinen, Teemu; Malakhov, Alexey; Malespin, Charles; Malin, Michael; Mangold, Nicolas; Manhes, Gerard; Manning, Heidi; Marchand, Geneviève; Marín Jiménez, Mercedes; Martín García, César; Martin, David K.; Martin, Mildred; Martin, Peter; Martínez Martínez, Germán; Martínez-Frías, Jesús; Martín-Sauceda, Jaime; Martín-Soler, Martín Javier; Martín-Torres, F. Javier; Mason, Emily; Matthews, Tristan; Matthiä, Daniel; Mauchien, Patrick; Maurice, Sylvestre; McAdam, Amy; McBride, Marie; McCartney, Elaina; McConnochie, Timothy; McCullough, Emily; McEwan, Ian; McKay, Christopher; McLain, Hannah; McLennan, Scott; McNair, Sean; Melikechi, Noureddine; Mendaza de Cal, Teresa; Merikallio, Sini; Merritt, Sean; Meslin, Pierre-Yves; Meyer, Michael; Mezzacappa, Alissa; Milkovich, Sarah; Millan, Maëva; Miller, Hayden; Miller, Kristen; Milliken, Ralph; Ming, Douglas; Minitti, Michelle; Mischna, Michael; Mitchell, Julie; Mitrofanov, Igor; Moersch, Jeffrey; Mokrousov, Maxim; Molina, Antonio; Moore, Jurado Casey; Moores, John E.; Mora-Sotomayor, Luis; Moreno, Gines; Morookian, John Michael; Morris, Richard V.; Morrison, Shaunna; Mousset, Valérie; Mrigakshi, Alankrita; Mueller-Mellin, Reinhold; Muller, Jan-Peter; Muñoz Caro, Guillermo; Nachon, Marion; Nastan, Abbey; Navarro López, Sara; Navarro González, Rafael; Nealson, Kenneth; Nefian, Ara; Nelson, Tony; Newcombe, Megan; Newman, Claire; Newsom, Horton; Nikiforov, Sergey; Nikitczuk, Matthew; Niles, Paul; Nixon, Brian; Noblet, Audrey; Noe, Eldar; Nolan, Dobrea Thomas; Oehler, Dorothy; Ollila, Ann; Olson, Timothy; Orthen, Tobias; Owen, Tobias; Ozanne, Marie; de Pablo Hernández, Miguel Ángel; Pagel, Hannah; Paillet, Alexis; Pallier, Etienne; Palucis, Marisa; Parker, Timothy; Parot, Yann; Parra, Alex; Patel, Kiran; Paton, Mark; Paulsen, Gale; Pavlov, Alexander; Pavri, Betina; Peinado-González, Verónica; Pepin, Robert; Peret, Laurent; Pérez, René; Perrett, Glynis; Peterson, Joseph; Pilorget, Cedric; Pinet, Patrick; Pinnick, Veronica; Pla-García, Jorge; Plante, Ianik; Poitrasson, Franck; Polkko, Jouni; Popa, Radu; Posiolova, Liliya; Posner, Arik; Pradler, Irina; Prats, Benito; Prokhorov, Vasily; Raaen, Eric; Radziemski, Leon; Rafkin, Scot; Ramos, Miguel; Rampe, Elizabeth; Rapin, William; Raulin, François; Ravine, Michael; Reitz, Günther; Ren, Jun; Rennó, Nilton; Rice, Melissa; Richardson, Mark; Ritter, Birgit; Rivera-Hernández, Frances; Robert, François; Robertson, Kevin; Rodriguez Manfredi, José Antonio; José Romeral-Planelló, Julio; Rowland, Scott; Rubin, David; Saccoccio, Muriel; Said, David; Salamon, Andrew; Sanin, Anton; Sans Fuentes, Sara Alejandra; Saper, Lee; Sarrazin, Philippe; Sautter, Violaine; Savijärvi, Hannu; Schieber, Juergen; Schmidt, Mariek; Schmidt, Walter; Scholes, Daniel; Schoppers, Marcel; Schröder, Susanne; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Sciascia Borlina, Cauê; Scodary, Anthony; Sebastián Martínez, Eduardo; Sengstacken, Aaron; Shechet, Jennifer Griffes; Shterts, Ruslan; Siebach, Kirsten; Siili, Tero; Simmonds, John J.; Sirven, Jean-Baptiste; Slavney, Susan; Sletten, Ronald; Smith, Michael D.; Sobron Sanchez, Pablo; Spanovich, Nicole; Spray, John; Spring, Justin; Squyres, Steven; Stack, Katie; Stalport, Fabien; Starr, Richard; Stein, Andrew Steele Thomas; Stern, Jennifer; Stewart, Noel; Stewart, Wayne; Stipp, Svane Susan Louise; Stoiber, Kevin; Stolper, Edward; Sucharski, Robert; Sullivan, Robert; Summons, Roger; Sumner, Dawn Y.; Sun, Vivian; Supulver, Kimberley; Sutter, Brad; Szopa, Cyril; Tan, Florence; Tate, Christopher; Teinturier, Samuel; ten Kate, Inge Loes; Thomas, Alicia; Thomas, Peter; Thompson, Lucy; Thuillier, Franck; Thulliez, Emmanual; Tokar, Robert; Toplis, Michael; de la Torre Juárez, Manuel; Torres Redondo, Josefina; Trainer, Melissa; Treiman, Allan; Tretyakov, Vladislav; Ullán-Nieto, Aurora; Urqui-O'Callaghan, Roser; Valentín-Serrano, Patricia; Van Beek, Jason; Van Beek, Tessa; VanBommel, Scott; Vaniman, David; Varenikov, Alexey; Vasavada, Ashwin R.; Vasconcelos, Paulo; de Vicente-Retortillo Rubalcaba, Álvaro; Vicenzi, Edward; Vostrukhin, Andrey; Voytek, Mary; Wadhwa, Meenakshi; Ward, Jennifer; Watkins, Jessica; Webster, Christopher R.; Weigle, Gerald; Wellington, Danika; Westall, Frances; Wiens, Roger; Wilhelm, Mary Beth; Williams, Amy; Williams, Joshua; Williams, Rebecca; Williams, Richard B.; Williford, Kenneth; Wilson, Michael A.; Wilson, Sharon A.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert; Wolff, Michael; Wong, Michael; Wray, James; Yana, Charles; Yen, Albert; Yingst, Aileen; Zeitlin, Cary; Zimdar, Robert; Zorzano Mier, María-Paz

2015-01-01

Reports of plumes or patches of methane in the martian atmosphere that vary over monthly time scales have defied explanation to date. From in situ measurements made over a 20-month period by the tunable laser spectrometer of the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite on Curiosity at Gale crater, we report detection of background levels of atmospheric methane of mean value 0.69 ± 0.25 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) at the 95% confidence interval (CI). This abundance is lower than model estimates of ultraviolet degradation of accreted interplanetary dust particles or carbonaceous chondrite material. Additionally, in four sequential measurements spanning a 60-sol period (where 1 sol is a martian day), we observed elevated levels of methane of 7.2 ± 2.1 ppbv (95% CI), implying that Mars is episodically producing methane from an additional unknown source.

Atmospheric Inverse Estimates of Methane Emissions from Central California

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Chuanfeng; Andrews, Arlyn E.; Bianco, Laura; Eluszkiewicz, Janusz; Hirsch, Adam; MacDonald, Clinton; Nehrkorn, Thomas; Fischer, Marc L.

2008-11-21

Methane mixing ratios measured at a tall-tower are compared to model predictions to estimate surface emissions of CH{sub 4} in Central California for October-December 2007 using an inverse technique. Predicted CH{sub 4} mixing ratios are calculated based on spatially resolved a priori CH{sub 4} emissions and simulated atmospheric trajectories. The atmospheric trajectories, along with surface footprints, are computed using the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) coupled to the Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport (STILT) model. An uncertainty analysis is performed to provide quantitative uncertainties in estimated CH{sub 4} emissions. Three inverse model estimates of CH{sub 4} emissions are reported. First, linear regressions of modeled and measured CH{sub 4} mixing ratios obtain slopes of 0.73 {+-} 0.11 and 1.09 {+-} 0.14 using California specific and Edgar 3.2 emission maps respectively, suggesting that actual CH{sub 4} emissions were about 37 {+-} 21% higher than California specific inventory estimates. Second, a Bayesian 'source' analysis suggests that livestock emissions are 63 {+-} 22% higher than the a priori estimates. Third, a Bayesian 'region' analysis is carried out for CH{sub 4} emissions from 13 sub-regions, which shows that inventory CH{sub 4} emissions from the Central Valley are underestimated and uncertainties in CH{sub 4} emissions are reduced for sub-regions near the tower site, yielding best estimates of flux from those regions consistent with 'source' analysis results. The uncertainty reductions for regions near the tower indicate that a regional network of measurements will be necessary to provide accurate estimates of surface CH{sub 4} emissions for multiple regions.

Methane excess in Arctic surface water-triggered by sea ice formation and melting.

Science.gov (United States)

Damm, E; Rudels, B; Schauer, U; Mau, S; Dieckmann, G

2015-11-10

Arctic amplification of global warming has led to increased summer sea ice retreat, which influences gas exchange between the Arctic Ocean and the atmosphere where sea ice previously acted as a physical barrier. Indeed, recently observed enhanced atmospheric methane concentrations in Arctic regions with fractional sea-ice cover point to unexpected feedbacks in cycling of methane. We report on methane excess in sea ice-influenced water masses in the interior Arctic Ocean and provide evidence that sea ice is a potential source. We show that methane release from sea ice into the ocean occurs via brine drainage during freezing and melting i.e. in winter and spring. In summer under a fractional sea ice cover, reduced turbulence restricts gas transfer, then seawater acts as buffer in which methane remains entrained. However, in autumn and winter surface convection initiates pronounced efflux of methane from the ice covered ocean to the atmosphere. Our results demonstrate that sea ice-sourced methane cycles seasonally between sea ice, sea-ice-influenced seawater and the atmosphere, while the deeper ocean remains decoupled. Freshening due to summer sea ice retreat will enhance this decoupling, which restricts the capacity of the deeper Arctic Ocean to act as a sink for this greenhouse gas.

Drivers of methane uptake by montane forest soils in the Peruvian Andes

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Sam; Diem, Torsten; Huaraca Quispe, Lidia; Cahuana, Adan; Meir, Patrick; Teh, Yit

2016-04-01

The exchange of methane between the soils of humid tropical forests and the atmosphere is relatively poorly documented. This is particularly true of montane settings where variations between uptake and emission of atmospheric methane have been observed. Whilst most of these ecosystems appear to function as net sinks for atmospheric methane, some act as considerable sources. In regions like the Andes, humid montane forests are extensive and a better understanding of the magnitude and controls on soil-atmosphere methane exchange is required. We report methane fluxes from upper montane cloud forest (2811 - 2962 m asl), lower montane cloud forest (1532 - 1786 m asl), and premontane forest (1070 - 1088 m asl) soils in south-eastern Peru. Between 1000 and 3000 m asl, mean annual air temperature and total annual precipitation decrease from 24 ° C and 5000 mm to 12 ° C and 1700 mm. The study region experiences a pronounced wet season between October and April. Monthly measurements of soil-atmosphere gas exchange, soil moisture, soil temperature, soil oxygen concentration, available ammonium and available nitrate were made from February 2011 in the upper and lower montane cloud forests and July 2011 in the premontane forest to June 2013. These soils acted as sinks for atmospheric methane with mean net fluxes for wet and dry season, respectively, of -2.1 (0.2) and -1.5 (0.1) mg CH4 m-2 d-1 in the upper montane forest; -1.5 (0.2) and -1.4 (0.1) mg CH4 m-2 d-1in the lower montane forest; and -0.3 (0.2) and -0.2 (0.2) mg CH4 m-2 d-1 in the premontane forest. Spatial variations among forest types were related to available nitrate and water-filled pore space suggesting that nitrate inhibition of oxidation or constraints on the diffusional supply of methane to methanotrophic communities may be important controls on methane cycling in these soils. Seasonality in methane exchange, with weaker uptake related to increased water-filled pore space and soil temperature during the wet

Impact of a global warming on biospheric sources of methane and its climatic consequences

Science.gov (United States)

Hameed, S.; Cess, R. D.

1980-01-01

Most of atmospheric methane originates by bacterial processes in anaerobic environments within the soil which are found to become more productive with increases in ambient temperature. A warming of climate, due to increasing levels of industrial gases resulting from fossil fuel burning, is thus likely to increase methane abundance within the atmosphere. This may lead to further heating of the atmosphere, since both methane and ozone (which is generated in the troposphere from reactions of methane) have greenhouse effects. This feedback mechanism has been explored with the use of a coupled climate-chemical model of the troposphere, by the calculation of the impact of the predicted global warming due to increased emissions of carbon dioxide and other industrial gases on the biospheric sources of methane.

Methane Fluxes at the Tree Stem, Soil, and Ecosystem-scales in a Cottonwood Riparian Forest

Science.gov (United States)

Flanagan, L. B.; Nikkel, D. J.; Scherloski, L. M.; Tkach, R. E.; Rood, S. B.

2017-12-01

Trees can emit methane to the atmosphere that is produced by microbes inside their decaying stems or by taking up and releasing methane that is produced by microbes in adjacent, anoxic soil layers. The significance of these two methane production pathways for possible net release to the atmosphere depends on the magnitude of simultaneous oxidation of atmospheric methane that occurs in well-aerated, shallow soil zones. In order to quantify the significance of these processes, we made methane flux measurements using the eddy covariance technique at the ecosystem-scale and via chamber-based methods applied on the soil surface and on tree stems in a riparian cottonwood ecosystem in southern Alberta that was dominated by Populus tree species and their natural hybrids. Tree stem methane fluxes varied greatly among individual Populus trees and changed seasonally, with peak growing season average values of 4 nmol m-2 s-1 (tree surface area basis). When scaled to the ecosystem, the tree stem methane emissions (0.9 nmol m-2 s-1, ground area basis) were slightly higher than average soil surface methane uptake rates (-0.8 nmol m-2 s-1). In addition, we observed regular nighttime increases in methane concentration within the forest boundary layer (by 300 nmol mol-1 on average at 22 m height during July). The majority of the methane concentration build-up was flushed from the ecosystem to the well-mixed atmosphere, with combined eddy covariance and air column storage fluxes reaching values of 70-80 nmol m-2 s-1 for approximately one hour after sunrise. Daily average net methane emission rates at the ecosystem-scale were 4.4 nmol m-2 s-1 during July. Additional lab studies demonstrated that tree stem methane was produced via the CO2-reduction pathway, as tissue in the central stem of living Populus trees was being decomposed. This study demonstrated net methane emission from an upland, cottonwood forest ecosystem, resulting from microbe methane production in tree stems that

Methane from the East Siberian Arctic shelf

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petrenko...[], Vasilii V.; Etheridge, David M.

2010-01-01

In their Report “Extensive methane venting to the atmosphere from sediments of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf” (5 March, p. 1246), N. Shakhova et al. write that methane (CH4) release resulting from thawing Arctic permafrost “is a likely positive feedback to climate warming.” They add...

Methane flux from boreal peatlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crill, P.; Bartlett, K.; Roulet, N.

1992-01-01

The peatlands in the boreal zone (roughly 45 deg - 60 degN) store a significant reservoir of carbon, much of which is potentially available for exchange with the atmosphere. The anaerobic conditions that cause these soils to accumulate carbon also makes wet, boreal peatlands significant sources of methane to the global troposphere. It is estimated that boreal wetlands contribute approximately 19.5 Tg methane per year. The data available on the magnitude of boreal methane emissions have rapidly accumulated in the past twenty years. This paper offers a short review of the flux measured (with range roughly 1 - 2000 mg methane/m2d), considers environmental controls of the flux and briefly discusses how climate change might affect future fluxes

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program facilities newsletter, July 2001.; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holdridge, D. J.

2001-01-01

Global Warming and Methane-Global warming, an increase in Earth's near-surface temperature, is believed to result from the buildup of what scientists refer to as ''greenhouse gases.'' These gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, perfluorocarbons, hydrofluoro-carbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. Greenhouse gases can absorb outgoing infrared (heat) radiation and re-emit it back to Earth, warming the surface. Thus, these gases act like the glass of a greenhouse enclosure, trapping infrared radiation inside and warming the space. One of the more important greenhouse gases is the naturally occurring hydrocarbon methane. Methane, a primary component of natural gas, is the second most important contributor to the greenhouse effect (after carbon dioxide). Natural sources of methane include wetlands, fossil sources, termites, oceans, fresh-waters, and non-wetland soils. Methane is also produced by human-related (or anthropogenic) activities such as fossil fuel production, coal mining, rice cultivation, biomass burning, water treatment facilities, waste management operations and landfills, and domesticated livestock operations (Figure 1). These anthropogenic activities account for approximately 70% of the methane emissions to the atmosphere. Methane is removed naturally from the atmosphere in three ways. These methods, commonly referred to as sinks, are oxidation by chemical reaction with tropospheric hydroxyl ion, oxidation within the stratosphere, and microbial uptake by soils. In spite of their important role in removing excess methane from the atmosphere, the sinks cannot keep up with global methane production. Methane concentrations in the atmosphere have increased by 145% since 1800. Increases in atmospheric methane roughly parallel world population growth, pointing to anthropogenic sources as the cause (Figure 2). Increases in the methane concentration reduce Earth's natural cooling efficiency by trapping more of the outgoing

Impact of a global warming on biospheric sources of methane and its climatic consequences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hameed, S; Cess, R D [State Univ. of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY (USA). Lab. for Planetary Atmospheres Research

1983-01-01

Most of atmospheric methane originates by bacterial processes in anaerobic environments within the soil which are found to become more productive with increases in ambient temperature. A warming of climate, due to increasing levels of industrial gases resulting from fossil fuel burning, is thus likely to increase methane abundance within the atmosphere. This may lead to further heating of the atmosphere, since both methane and ozone (which is generated in the troposphere from reactions of methane) have greenhouse effects. We have explored this feedback mechanism using a coupled climate-chemical model of the troposphere, by calculating the impact of the predicted global warming due to increased emissions of carbon dioxide and other industrial gases on the biospheric sources of methane. Although we find this climate feedback to be, by itself, relatively minor, it can produce measurable increases in atmospheric CH/sub 4/ concentration, a quantity which should additionally increase as a consequence of increasing anthropogenic emissions of CO and CH/sub 4/ itself. It would thus seem useful to carefully monitor future atmospheric CH/sub 4/ concentrations.

Impact of a global warming on biospheric sources of methane and its climatic consequences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hameed, S; Cess, R D

1983-02-01

Most of atmospheric methane originates by bacterial processes in anaerobic environments within the soil which are found to become more productive with increases in ambient temperature. A warming of climate, due to increasing levels of industrial gases resulting from fossil fuel burning, is thus likely to increase methane abundance within the atmosphere. This may lead to further heating of the atmosphere, since both methane and ozone (which is generated in the troposphere from reactions of methane) have greenhouse effects. We have explored this feedback mechanism using a coupled climate-chemical model of the troposphere, by calculating the impact of the predicted global warming due to increased emissions of carbon dioxide and other industrial gases on the biospheric sources of methane. Although we find this climate feedback to be, by itself, relatively minor, it can produce measurable increases in atmospheric CH/sub 4/ concentration, a quantity which should additionally increase as a consequence of increasing anthropogenic emissions of CO and CH/sub 4/ itself. It would thus seem useful to carefully monitor future atmospheric CH/sub 4/ concentrations.

Measurements of Positively Charged Ions in Premixed Methane-Oxygen Atmospheric Flames

KAUST Repository

Alquaity, Awad

2016-08-22

Cations and anions are formed as a result of chemi-ionization processes in combustion systems. Electric fields can be applied to reduce emissions and improve combustion efficiency by active control of the combustion process. Detailed flame ion chemistry models are needed to understand and predict the effect of external electric fields on combustion plasmas. In this work, a molecular beam mass spectrometer (MBMS) is utilized to measure ion concentration profiles in premixed methane–oxygen argon burner-stabilized atmospheric flames. Lean and stoichiometric flames are considered to assess the dependence of ion chemistry on flame stoichiometry. Relative ion concentration profiles are compared with numerical simulations using various temperature profiles, and good qualitative agreement was observed for the stoichiometric flame. However, for the lean flame, numerical simulations misrepresent the spatial distribution of selected ions greatly. Three modifications are suggested to enhance the ion mechanism and improve the agreement between experiments and simulations. The first two modifications comprise the addition of anion detachment reactions to increase anion recombination at low temperatures. The third modification involves restoring a detachment reaction to its original irreversible form. To our knowledge, this work presents the first detailed measurements of cations and flame temperature in canonical methane–oxygen-argon atmospheric flat flames. The positive ion profiles reported here may be useful to validate and improve ion chemistry models for methane-oxygen flames.

Effect of complete rumen modifier (CRM and Calliandra calothyrus on productivity and enteric methane productions of PE dairy goat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ni Made Suci Sukmawati

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Methanogenesis in the rumen is thought to represent 2-12% loss of energy intake. The energy loss as methane can decrease animal productivity and feed efficiency. In addition, methane is potentially involves in global warming that affects the atmosphere adversely. A research to improve PE dairy goat productivity and reduce enteric methane emission by supplementation of calliandra and complete rumen modifier (CRM was conducted for 6 months. In this experiment 20 PE dairy goats were divided into five blocks according to body weight. The experimental design used was a randomized block design that consisted of four treatments, A. Elephant grass 50% + concentrate 50% (control, B. Elephant grass 40% + concentrate 40% + calliandra 20%, C. Elephant grass 50% + concentrate 48% + CRM 2% and D. Elephant grass 40% + concentrate 38% + calliandra 20% + CRM 2%. Data were analyzed statistically using ANOVA and Duncan test. The result showed that calliandra and CRM did not affect nutrient consumption, except that protein consumption increased (P < 0.05 in calliandra treatments (B and D. Nutrient digestibility increased in CRM (C treatment, while other treatments did not differ from control. CRM also increased total bacteria (36.84%, milk production (67.21%, milk fat (25.0%, and reduced enteric methane production (65.71%. The improvement of milk production in CRM treatment (C was followed by better feed efficiency than other treatments. In conclusion, CRM was more effective than calliandra in improving milk production of PE dairy goats and reduced enteric methane emission, but its effectivity was reduced in combination with calliandra.

Methane sources in gas hydrate-bearing cold seeps: Evidence from radiocarbon and stable isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Pohlman, J.W.; Bauer, J.E.; Canuel, E.A.; Grabowski, K.S.; Knies, D.L.; Mitchell, C.S.; Whiticar, Michael J.; Coffin, R.B.

2009-01-01

Fossil methane from the large and dynamic marine gas hydrate reservoir has the potential to influence oceanic and atmospheric carbon pools. However, natural radiocarbon (14C) measurements of gas hydrate methane have been extremely limited, and their use as a source and process indicator has not yet been systematically established. In this study, gas hydrate-bound and dissolved methane recovered from six geologically and geographically distinct high-gas-flux cold seeps was found to be 98 to 100% fossil based on its 14C content. Given this prevalence of fossil methane and the small contribution of gas hydrate (??? 1%) to the present-day atmospheric methane flux, non-fossil contributions of gas hydrate methane to the atmosphere are not likely to be quantitatively significant. This conclusion is consistent with contemporary atmospheric methane budget calculations. In combination with ??13C- and ??D-methane measurements, we also determine the extent to which the low, but detectable, amounts of 14C (~ 1-2% modern carbon, pMC) in methane from two cold seeps might reflect in situ production from near-seafloor sediment organic carbon (SOC). A 14C mass balance approach using fossil methane and 14C-enriched SOC suggests that as much as 8 to 29% of hydrate-associated methane carbon may originate from SOC contained within the upper 6??m of sediment. These findings validate the assumption of a predominantly fossil carbon source for marine gas hydrate, but also indicate that structural gas hydrate from at least certain cold seeps contains a component of methane produced during decomposition of non-fossil organic matter in near-surface sediment.

Characterizing the Upper Atmosphere of Titan using the Titan Global Ionosphere- Thermosphere Model: Nitrogen and Methane.

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, J. M.; Waite, J. H.; Bar-Nun, A.; Bougher, S. W.; Ridley, A. J.; Magee, B.

2008-12-01

Recently, a great deal of effort has been put forth to explain the Cassini Ion-Neutral Mass Spectrometer (Waite et al [2004]) in-situ measurements of Titan's upper atmosphere (e.g. Muller-Wodarg [2008], Strobel [2008], Yelle et al [2008]). Currently, the community seems to agree that large amounts of CH4 are escaping from Titan's upper atmosphere at a rate of roughly 2.0 x 1027 molecules of CH4/s (3.33 x 1028 amu/s), representing a significant mass source to the Kronian Magnetosphere. However, such large escape fluxes from Titan are currently not corroborated by measurements onboard the Cassini Spacecraft. Thus, we posit another potential scenario: Aerosol depletion of atmospheric methane. Using the three-dimensional Titan Global Ionosphere-Thermosphere Model (T-GITM) (Bell et al [2008]), we explore the possible removal mechanisms of atmospheric gaseous constituents by these aerosols. Titan simulations are directly compared against Cassini Ion-Neutral Mass Spectrometer in-situ densities of N2 and CH4. From this work, we can then compare and contrast this aerosol depletion scenario against the currently posited hydrodynamic escape scenario, illustrating the merits and shortcomings of both.

The isotopic composition of methane in polar ice cores

Science.gov (United States)

Craig, H.; Chou, C. C.; Welhan, J. A.; Stevens, C. M.; Engelkemeir, A.

1988-01-01

Air bubbles in polar ice cores indicate that about 300 years ago the atmospheric mixing ratio of methane began to increase rapidly. Today the mixing ratio is about 1.7 parts per million by volume, and, having doubled once in the past several hundred years, it will double again in the next 60 years if current rates continue. Carbon isotope ratios in methane up to 350 years in age have been measured with as little as 25 kilograms of polar ice recovered in 4-meter-long ice-core segments. The data show that: (1) in situ microbiology or chemistry has not altered the ice-core methane concentrations, and (2) that the carbon-13 to carbon-12 ratio of atmospheric CH4 in ice from 100 years and 300 years ago was about 2 per mil lower than at present. Atmospheric methane has a rich spectrum of isotopic sources: the ice-core data indicate that anthropogenic burning of the earth's biomass is the principal cause of the recent C-13H4 enrichment, although other factors may also contribute.

Statistical atmospheric inversion of local gas emissions by coupling the tracer release technique and local-scale transport modelling: a test case with controlled methane emissions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Ars

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This study presents a new concept for estimating the pollutant emission rates of a site and its main facilities using a series of atmospheric measurements across the pollutant plumes. This concept combines the tracer release method, local-scale atmospheric transport modelling and a statistical atmospheric inversion approach. The conversion between the controlled emission and the measured atmospheric concentrations of the released tracer across the plume places valuable constraints on the atmospheric transport. This is used to optimise the configuration of the transport model parameters and the model uncertainty statistics in the inversion system. The emission rates of all sources are then inverted to optimise the match between the concentrations simulated with the transport model and the pollutants' measured atmospheric concentrations, accounting for the transport model uncertainty. In principle, by using atmospheric transport modelling, this concept does not strongly rely on the good colocation between the tracer and pollutant sources and can be used to monitor multiple sources within a single site, unlike the classical tracer release technique. The statistical inversion framework and the use of the tracer data for the configuration of the transport and inversion modelling systems should ensure that the transport modelling errors are correctly handled in the source estimation. The potential of this new concept is evaluated with a relatively simple practical implementation based on a Gaussian plume model and a series of inversions of controlled methane point sources using acetylene as a tracer gas. The experimental conditions are chosen so that they are suitable for the use of a Gaussian plume model to simulate the atmospheric transport. In these experiments, different configurations of methane and acetylene point source locations are tested to assess the efficiency of the method in comparison to the classic tracer release technique in coping

Statistical atmospheric inversion of local gas emissions by coupling the tracer release technique and local-scale transport modelling: a test case with controlled methane emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Ars, Sébastien; Broquet, Grégoire; Yver Kwok, Camille; Roustan, Yelva; Wu, Lin; Arzoumanian, Emmanuel; Bousquet, Philippe

2017-12-01

This study presents a new concept for estimating the pollutant emission rates of a site and its main facilities using a series of atmospheric measurements across the pollutant plumes. This concept combines the tracer release method, local-scale atmospheric transport modelling and a statistical atmospheric inversion approach. The conversion between the controlled emission and the measured atmospheric concentrations of the released tracer across the plume places valuable constraints on the atmospheric transport. This is used to optimise the configuration of the transport model parameters and the model uncertainty statistics in the inversion system. The emission rates of all sources are then inverted to optimise the match between the concentrations simulated with the transport model and the pollutants' measured atmospheric concentrations, accounting for the transport model uncertainty. In principle, by using atmospheric transport modelling, this concept does not strongly rely on the good colocation between the tracer and pollutant sources and can be used to monitor multiple sources within a single site, unlike the classical tracer release technique. The statistical inversion framework and the use of the tracer data for the configuration of the transport and inversion modelling systems should ensure that the transport modelling errors are correctly handled in the source estimation. The potential of this new concept is evaluated with a relatively simple practical implementation based on a Gaussian plume model and a series of inversions of controlled methane point sources using acetylene as a tracer gas. The experimental conditions are chosen so that they are suitable for the use of a Gaussian plume model to simulate the atmospheric transport. In these experiments, different configurations of methane and acetylene point source locations are tested to assess the efficiency of the method in comparison to the classic tracer release technique in coping with the distances

Microbial methane oxidation processes and technologies for mitigation of landfill gas emissions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scheutz, Charlotte; Kjeldsen, Peter; Bogner, J.E.

2009-01-01

Landfill gas containing methane is produced by anaerobic degradation of organic waste. Methane is a strong greenhouse gas and landfills are one of the major anthropogenic sources of atmospheric methane. Landfill methane may be oxidized by methanotrophic microorganisms in soils or waste materials...... to predict methane emissions from landfills. Additional research and technology development is needed before methane mitigation technologies utilizing microbial methane oxidation processes can become commercially viable and widely deployed....

Atmospheric characterization through fused mobile airborne and surface in situ surveys: methane emissions quantification from a producing oil field

Science.gov (United States)

Leifer, Ira; Melton, Christopher; Fischer, Marc L.; Fladeland, Matthew; Frash, Jason; Gore, Warren; Iraci, Laura T.; Marrero, Josette E.; Ryoo, Ju-Mee; Tanaka, Tomoaki; Yates, Emma L.

2018-03-01

Methane (CH4) inventory uncertainties are large, requiring robust emission derivation approaches. We report on a fused airborne-surface data collection approach to derive emissions from an active oil field near Bakersfield, central California. The approach characterizes the atmosphere from the surface to above the planetary boundary layer (PBL) and combines downwind trace gas concentration anomaly (plume) above background with normal winds to derive flux. This approach does not require a well-mixed PBL; allows explicit, data-based, uncertainty evaluation; and was applied to complex topography and wind flows. In situ airborne (collected by AJAX - the Alpha Jet Atmospheric eXperiment) and mobile surface (collected by AMOG - the AutoMObile trace Gas - Surveyor) data were collected on 19 August 2015 to assess source strength. Data included an AMOG and AJAX intercomparison transect profiling from the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) floor into the Sierra Nevada (0.1-2.2 km altitude), validating a novel surface approach for atmospheric profiling by leveraging topography. The profile intercomparison found good agreement in multiple parameters for the overlapping altitude range from 500 to 1500 m for the upper 5 % of surface winds, which accounts for wind-impeding structures, i.e., terrain, trees, buildings, etc. Annualized emissions from the active oil fields were 31.3 ± 16 Gg methane and 2.4 ± 1.2 Tg carbon dioxide. Data showed the PBL was not well mixed at distances of 10-20 km downwind, highlighting the importance of the experimental design.

Validation of landfill methane measurements from an unmanned aerial system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Allen, Grant; Williams, Paul; Ricketts, hugo

Landfill gas is made up of roughly equal amounts of methane and carbon dioxide. Modern UK landfills capture and use much of the methane gas as a fuel. But some methane escapes and is emitted to the atmosphere. Methane is an important greenhouse gas and controls on methane emissions are a part...... of international and national strategies to limit climate change. Better estimates of methane emissions from landfills and other similar sources would allow the UK to improve the quantification and control of greenhouse gas emissions. This project tested the accuracy of methane measurement using an unmanned aerial...

Direct Activation Of Methane

KAUST Repository

Basset, Jean-Marie

2013-07-15

Heteropolyacids (HPAs) can activate methane at ambient temperature (e.g., 20.degree. C.) and atmospheric pressure, and transform methane to acetic acid, in the absence of any noble metal such as Pd). The HPAs can be, for example, those with Keggin structure: H.sub.4SiW.sub.12O.sub.40, H.sub.3PW.sub.12O.sub.40, H.sub.4SiMo.sub.12O.sub.40, or H.sub.3PMo.sub.12O.sub.40, can be when supported on silica.

Understanding Natural Gas Methane Leakage from Buried Pipelines as Affected by Soil and Atmospheric Conditions - Field Scale Experimental and Modeling Study

Science.gov (United States)

Smits, K. M.; Mitton, M.; Moradi, A.; Chamindu, D. K.

2017-12-01

Reducing the amount of leaked natural gas (NG) from pipelines from production to use has become a high priority in efforts to cut anthropogenic emissions of methane. In addition to environmental impacts, NG leakage can cause significant economic losses and safety failures such as fires and explosions. However, tracking and evaluating NG pipeline leaks requires a better understanding of the leak from the source to the detector as well as more robust quantification methods. Although recent measurement-based approaches continue to make progress towards this end, efforts are hampered due to the complexity of leakage scenarios. Sub- surface transport of leaked NG from pipelines occurs through complex transport pathways due to soil heterogeneities and changes in soil moisture. Furthermore, it is affected by variable atmospheric conditions such as winds, frontal passages and rain. To better understand fugitive emissions from NG pipelines, we developed a field scale testbed that simulates low pressure gas leaks from pipe buried in soil. The system is equipped with subsurface and surface sensors to continuously monitor changes in soil and atmospheric conditions (e.g. moisture, pressure, temperature) and methane concentrations. Using this testbed, we are currently conducting a series of gas leakage experiments to study of the impact of subsurface (e.g. soil moisture, heterogeneity) and atmospheric conditions (near-surface wind and temperature) on the detected gas signals and establish the relative importance of the many pathways for methane migration between the source and the sensor location. Accompanying numerical modeling of the system using the multiphase transport simulator TOUGH2-EOS7CA demonstrates the influence of leak location and direction on gas migration. These findings will better inform leak detectors of the leak severity before excavation, aiding with safety precautions and work order categorization for improved efficiency.

Microseepage of methane to the atmosphere from the Dawanqi oil-gas field, Tarim Basin, China

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Junhong; Xu, Yue; Wang, Guojian; Etiope, Giuseppe; Han, Wei; Yao, Zhitong; Huang, Jingang

2017-04-01

The microseepage of natural gas from subsurface hydrocarbon reservoirs is a widespread process in petroleum basins. On a global scale, microseepage represents an important natural source of atmospheric methane (CH4). To date, microseepage CH4 flux data have been obtained from 20 petroleum systems in North America, Europe, and Asia. While the seasonal variations of gas flux due to soil methanotrophic activity are known, the role of geological factors in controlling gas fluxes has been poorly investigated. Here we present new microseepage data from the Dawanqi oil-gas field located within the Tarim Basin (China), a petroleum system characterized by intense faulting and shallow (petroleum fields with active tectonics. Our results confirm that dry soil over petroleum fields can be a net source of atmospheric CH4 and its flux is primarily controlled by faulting, and reservoir depth and pressure. These factors shall be considered in global bottom-up seepage emission estimates.

Elimination of methane in exhaust gas from biogas upgrading process by immobilized methane-oxidizing bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ya-Min; Yang, Jing; Fan, Xiao-Lei; Fu, Shan-Fei; Sun, Meng-Ting; Guo, Rong-Bo

2017-05-01

Biogas upgrading is essential for the comprehensive utilization of biogas as substitute of natural gas. However, the methane in the biogas can be fully recovered during the upgrading process of biogas, and the exhaust gas produced during biogas upgrading may contain a very low concentration of methane. If the exhaust gas with low concentration methane releases to atmosphere, it will be harmful to environment. In addition, the utilization of large amounts of digestate produced from biogas plant is another important issue for the development of biogas industry. In this study, solid digestate was used to produce active carbon, which was subsequently used as immobilized material for methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) in biofilter. Biofilter with MOB immobilized on active carbon was used to eliminate the methane in exhaust gas from biogas upgrading process. Results showed porous active carbon was successfully made from solid digestate. The final methane elimination capacity of immobilized MOB reached about 13molh -1 m -3 , which was more 4 times higher than that of MOB without immobilization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physical and biological controls over patterns of methane flux from wetland soils

Science.gov (United States)

Owens, S. M.; von Fischer, J. C.

2006-12-01

While methane (CH4) production and plant-facilitated gas transport both contribute to patterns of CH4 emissions from wetlands, the relative importance of each mechanism is uncertain. In flooded wetland soils, CH4 is produced by anaerobic methanogenic bacteria. In the absence of competing oxidizers (i.e. SO42-, NO3-, O2), CH4 production is limited by the availability of labile carbon, which is supplied from recent plant primary production (e.g. as root exudates) and converted by anaerobic fermenting bacteria into methanogenic substrate (e.g. acetate). Because diffusion of gases through saturated soils is extremely slow, the aerenchymous tissues of wetland plants provide the primary pathway for CH4 emissions in systems dominated by emergent vascular vegetation. Aerenchyma also function to shuttle atmospheric oxygen to belowground plant tissues for respiration. Consequentially, root radial oxygen loss results in an oxidized rhizosphere, which limits CH4 production and provides habitat for aerobic methanotrophic bacteria, potentially reducing CH4 emissions. To test the contribution of recent photosynthates on CH4 emissions, a shading experiment was conducted in a Juncus-dominated wetland in the Colorado Front Range. Shade treatments significantly reduced net ecosystem production (NEE) and gross primary production (GPP) compared to control plots (p=0.0194 and p=0.0551, respectively). While CH4 emissions did not significantly differ between treatments, CH4 flux rates were strongly correlated with NEE (p=0.0063) and GPP (p=0.0020), in support of the hypothesis that labile carbon from recent photosynthesis controls patterns of CH4 emissions. The relative importance of plant gas transport and methane consumption rates on CH4 emissions is not known. Methane flux is more tightly correlated with NEE than GPP, which may be explained by increased CH4 consumption or decreased CH4 production as a result of rhizospheric oxidation. The ability to predict future emissions of this

Thermodynamic characteristics of a low concentration methane catalytic combustion gas turbine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin, Juan; Su, Shi; Yu, Xin Xiang; Weng, Yiwu

2010-01-01

Low concentration methane, emitted from coal mines, landfill, animal waste, etc. into the atmosphere, is not only a greenhouse gas, but also a waste energy source if not utilised. Methane is 23 times more potent than CO 2 in terms of trapping heat in the atmosphere over a timeframe of 100 years. This paper studies a novel lean burn catalytic combustion gas turbine, which can be powered with about 1% methane (volume) in air. When this technology is successfully developed, it can be used not only to mitigate the methane for greenhouse gas reduction, but also to utilise such methane as a clean energy source. This paper presents our study results on the thermodynamic characteristics of this new lean burn catalytic combustion gas turbine system by conducting thermal performance analysis of the turbine cycle. The thermodynamic data including thermal efficiencies and exergy loss of main components of the turbine system are presented under different pressure ratios, turbine inlet temperatures and methane concentrations.

Large methane releases lead to strong aerosol forcing and reduced cloudiness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kurten, T.; Zhou, L.; Makkonen, R.

2011-01-01

The release of vast quantities of methane into the atmosphere as a result of clathrate destabilization is a potential mechanism for rapid amplification of global warming. Previous studies have calculated the enhanced warming based mainly on the radiative effect of the methane itself, with smaller...... is predicted to significantly decrease hydroxyl radical (OH) concentrations, while moderately increasing ozone (O-3). These changes lead to a 70% increase in the atmospheric lifetime of methane, and an 18% decrease in global mean cloud droplet number concentrations (CDNC). The CDNC change causes a radiative...... forcing that is comparable in magnitude to the long-wave radiative forcing ("enhanced greenhouse effect") of the added methane. Together, the indirect CH4-O-3 and CH4-OHaerosol forcings could more than double the warming effect of large methane increases. Our findings may help explain the anomalously...

Stimulation by ammonium-based fertilizers of methane oxidation in soil around rice roots

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bodelier, P.L.E.; Roslev, P.; Henckel, T.; Frenzel, P.

2000-01-01

Methane is involved in a number of chemical and physical processes in the Earths atmosphere, including global warming(1), Atmospheric methane originates mainly from biogenic sources, such as rice paddies and natural wetlands; the former account for at least 30% of the global annual emission of

Methane emissions from grasslands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pol - van Dasselaar, van den A.

1998-01-01

Introduction

Methane (CH ₄ ) is an important greenhouse gas. The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has been increasing since pre-industrial times, mainly due to human activities. This increase gives concern,

Raman studies of methane-ethane hydrate metastability.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohno, Hiroshi; Strobel, Timothy A; Dec, Steven F; Sloan, E Dendy; Koh, Carolyn A

2009-03-05

The interconversion of methane-ethane hydrate from metastable to stable structures was studied using Raman spectroscopy. sI and sII hydrates were synthesized from methane-ethane gas mixtures of 65% or 93% methane in ethane and water, both with and without the kinetic hydrate inhibitor, poly(N-vinylcaprolactam). The observed faster structural conversion rate in the higher methane concentration atmosphere can be explained in terms of the differences in driving force (difference in chemical potential of water in sI and sII hydrates) and kinetics (mass transfer of gas and water rearrangement). The kinetic hydrate inhibitor increased the conversion rate at 65% methane in ethane (sI is thermodynamically stable) but retards the rate at 93% methane in ethane (sII is thermodynamically stable), implying there is a complex interaction between the polymer, water, and hydrate guests at crystal surfaces.

Exploratory study of atmospheric methane enhancements derived from natural gas use in the Houston urban area

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez, Nancy P.; Zheng, Chuantao; Ye, Weilin; Czader, Beata; Cohan, Daniel S.; Tittel, Frank K.; Griffin, Robert J.

2018-03-01

The extensive use of natural gas (NG) in urban areas for heating and cooking and as a vehicular fuel is associated with potentially significant emissions of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas that influences the chemistry of the atmosphere, can be emitted from different sources including leakage from NG infrastructure, transportation activities, end-use uncombusted NG, landfills and livestock. Although significant CH4 leakage associated with aging local NG distribution systems in the U.S. has been reported, further investigation is required to study the role of this infrastructure component and other NG-related sources in atmospheric CH4 enhancements in urban centers. In this study, neighborhood-scale mobile-based monitoring of potential CH4 emissions associated with NG in the Greater Houston area (GHA) is reported. A novel dual-gas 3.337 μm interband cascade laser-based sensor system was developed and mobile-mode deployed for simultaneous CH4 and ethane (C2H6) monitoring during a period of over 14 days, corresponding to ∼ 90 h of effective data collection during summer 2016. The sampling campaign covered ∼250 exclusive road miles and was primarily concentrated on eight residential zones with distinct infrastructure age and NG usage levels. A moderate number of elevated CH4 concentration events (37 episodes) with mixing ratios not exceeding 3.60 ppmv and associated with atmospheric background enhancements below 1.21 ppmv were observed during the field campaign. Source discrimination analyses based on the covariance between CH4 and C2H6 levels indicated the predominance of thermogenic sources (e.g., NG) in the elevated CH4 concentration episodes. The volumetric fraction of C2H6 in the sources associated with the thermogenic CH4 spikes varied between 2.7 and 5.9%, concurring with the C2H6 content in NG distributed in the GHA. Isolated CH4 peak events with significantly higher C2H6 enhancements (∼11%) were observed at industrial

Formation of methane and nitrous oxide in plants

Science.gov (United States)

Keppler, Frank; Lenhart, Katharina

2017-04-01

Methane, the second important anthropogenic greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, is the most abundant reduced organic compound in the atmosphere and plays a central role in atmospheric chemistry. The global atmospheric methane budget is determined by many natural and anthropogenic terrestrial and aquatic surface sources, balanced primarily by one major sink (hydroxyl radicals) in the atmosphere. Natural sources of atmospheric methane in the biosphere have until recently been attributed to originate solely from strictly anaerobic microbial processes in wetland soils and rice paddies, the intestines of termites and ruminants, human and agricultural waste, and from biomass burning, fossil fuel mining and geological sources including mud volcanoes and seeps. However, recent studies suggested that terrestrial vegetation, fungi and mammals may also produce methane without the help of methanogens and under aerobic conditions (e.g. Keppler et al. 2009, Wang et al. 2013). These novel sources have been termed "aerobic methane production" to distinguish them from the well-known anaerobic methane production pathway. Nitrous oxide is another important greenhouse gas and major source of ozone-depleting nitric oxide. About two thirds of nitrous oxide emissions are considered to originate from anthropogenic and natural terrestrial sources, and are almost exclusively related to microbial processes in soils and sediments. However, the global nitrous oxide budget still has major uncertainties since it is unclear if all major sources have been identified but also the emission estimates of the know sources and stratospheric sink are afflicted with high uncertainties. Plants contribute, although not yet quantified, to nitrous oxide emissions either indirectly as conduits of soil derived nitrous oxide (Pihlatie et al. 2005), or directly via generation of nitrous oxide in leaves (Dean & Harper 1986) or on the leaf surface induced by UV irradiation (Bruhn et al. 2014). Moreover, lichens

Patterns of in-soil methane production and atmospheric emission among different land covers of a Lake Erie estuarine wetland

Science.gov (United States)

Rey Sanchez, C.; Morin, T. H.; Stefanik, K. C.; Angle, J.; Wrighton, K. C.; Bohrer, G.

2017-12-01

important insights for the representation of processes of methane production and consumption in models, which can largely affect the estimates of methane emission from wetlands.

Methane storage capacity of the early martian cryosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Lasue, Jeremie; Quesnel, Yoann; Langlais, Benoit; Chassefière, Eric

2015-11-01

Methane is a key molecule to understand the habitability of Mars due to its possible biological origin and short atmospheric lifetime. Recent methane detections on Mars present a large variability that is probably due to relatively localized sources and sink processes yet unknown. In this study, we determine how much methane could have been abiotically produced by early Mars serpentinization processes that could also explain the observed martian remanent magnetic field. Under the assumption of a cold early Mars environment, a cryosphere could trap such methane as clathrates in stable form at depth. The extent and spatial distribution of these methane reservoirs have been calculated with respect to the magnetization distribution and other factors. We calculate that the maximum storage capacity of such a clathrate cryosphere is about 2.1 × 1019-2.2 × 1020 moles of CH4, which can explain sporadic releases of methane that have been observed on the surface of the planet during the past decade (∼1.2 × 109 moles). This amount of trapped methane is sufficient for similar sized releases to have happened yearly during the history of the planet. While the stability of such reservoirs depends on many factors that are poorly constrained, it is possible that they have remained trapped at depth until the present day. Due to the possible implications of methane detection for life and its influence on the atmospheric and climate processes on the planet, confirming the sporadic release of methane on Mars and the global distribution of its sources is one of the major goals of the current and next space missions to Mars.

Atmospheric characterization through fused mobile airborne and surface in situ surveys: methane emissions quantification from a producing oil field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Leifer

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Methane (CH4 inventory uncertainties are large, requiring robust emission derivation approaches. We report on a fused airborne–surface data collection approach to derive emissions from an active oil field near Bakersfield, central California. The approach characterizes the atmosphere from the surface to above the planetary boundary layer (PBL and combines downwind trace gas concentration anomaly (plume above background with normal winds to derive flux. This approach does not require a well-mixed PBL; allows explicit, data-based, uncertainty evaluation; and was applied to complex topography and wind flows. In situ airborne (collected by AJAX – the Alpha Jet Atmospheric eXperiment and mobile surface (collected by AMOG – the AutoMObile trace Gas – Surveyor data were collected on 19 August 2015 to assess source strength. Data included an AMOG and AJAX intercomparison transect profiling from the San Joaquin Valley (SJV floor into the Sierra Nevada (0.1–2.2 km altitude, validating a novel surface approach for atmospheric profiling by leveraging topography. The profile intercomparison found good agreement in multiple parameters for the overlapping altitude range from 500 to 1500 m for the upper 5 % of surface winds, which accounts for wind-impeding structures, i.e., terrain, trees, buildings, etc. Annualized emissions from the active oil fields were 31.3 ± 16 Gg methane and 2.4 ± 1.2 Tg carbon dioxide. Data showed the PBL was not well mixed at distances of 10–20 km downwind, highlighting the importance of the experimental design.

The Effect of the Interannual Variability of the OH Sink on the Interannual Variability of the Atmospheric Methane Mixing Ratio and Carbon Stable Isotope Composition

Science.gov (United States)

Guillermo Nuñez Ramirez, Tonatiuh; Houweling, Sander; Marshall, Julia; Williams, Jason; Brailsford, Gordon; Schneising, Oliver; Heimann, Martin

2013-04-01

The atmospheric hydroxyl radical concentration (OH) varies due to changes in the incoming UV radiation, in the abundance of atmospheric species involved in the production, recycling and destruction of OH molecules and due to climate variability. Variability in carbon monoxide emissions from biomass burning induced by El Niño Southern Oscillation are particularly important. Although the OH sink accounts for the oxidation of approximately 90% of atmospheric CH4, the effect of the variability in the distribution and strength of the OH sink on the interannual variability of atmospheric methane (CH4) mixing ratio and stable carbon isotope composition (δ13C-CH4) has often been ignored. To show this effect we simulated the atmospheric signals of CH4 in a three-dimensional atmospheric transport model (TM3). ERA Interim reanalysis data provided the atmospheric transport and temperature variability from 1990 to 2010. We performed simulations using time dependent OH concentration estimations from an atmospheric chemistry transport model and an atmospheric chemistry climate model. The models assumed a different set of reactions and algorithms which caused a very different strength and distribution of the OH concentration. Methane emissions were based on published bottom-up estimates including inventories, upscaled estimations and modeled fluxes. The simulations also included modeled concentrations of atomic chlorine (Cl) and excited oxygen atoms (O(1D)). The isotopic signal of the sources and the fractionation factors of the sinks were based on literature values, however the isotopic signal from wetlands and enteric fermentation processes followed a linear relationship with a map of C4 plant fraction. The same set of CH4emissions and stratospheric reactants was used in all simulations. Two simulations were done per OH field: one in which the CH4 sources were allowed to vary interannually, and a second where the sources were climatological. The simulated mixing ratios and

Global Methane Biogeochemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Reeburgh, W. S.

2003-12-01

Methane (CH4) has been studied as an atmospheric constituent for over 200 years. A 1776 letter from Alessandro Volta to Father Campi described the first experiments on flammable "air" released by shallow sediments in Lake Maggiore (Wolfe, 1996; King, 1992). The first quantitative measurements of CH4, both involving combustion and gravimetric determination of trapped oxidation products, were reported in French by Boussingault and Boussingault, 1864 and Gautier (1901), who reported CH4 concentrations of 10 ppmv and 0.28 ppmv (seashore) and 95 ppmv (Paris), respectively. The first modern measurements of atmospheric CH4 were the infrared absorption measurements of Migeotte (1948), who estimated an atmospheric concentration of 2.0 ppmv. Development of gas chromatography and the flame ionization detector in the 1950s led to observations of vertical CH4 distributions in the troposphere and stratosphere, and to establishment of time-series sampling programs in the late 1970s. Results from these sampling programs led to suggestions that the concentration of CH4, as that of CO2, was increasing in the atmosphere. The possible role of CH4 as a greenhouse gas stimulated further research on CH4 sources and sinks. Methane has also been of interest to microbiologists, but findings from microbiology have entered the larger context of the global CH4 budget only recently.Methane is the most abundant hydrocarbon in the atmosphere. It plays important roles in atmospheric chemistry and the radiative balance of the Earth. Stratospheric oxidation of CH4 provides a means of introducing water vapor above the tropopause. Methane reacts with atomic chlorine in the stratosphere, forming HCl, a reservoir species for chlorine. Some 90% of the CH4 entering the atmosphere is oxidized through reactions initiated by the OH radical. These reactions are discussed in more detail by Wofsy (1976) and Cicerone and Oremland (1988), and are important in controlling the oxidation state of the atmosphere

Role of Megafauna and Frozen Soil in the Atmospheric CH4 Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Zimov, Sergey; Zimov, Nikita

2014-01-01

Modern wetlands are the world’s strongest methane source. But what was the role of this source in the past? An analysis of global 14C data for basal peat combined with modelling of wetland succession allowed us to reconstruct the dynamics of global wetland methane emission through time. These data show that the rise of atmospheric methane concentrations during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition was not connected with wetland expansion, but rather started substantially later, only 9 thousand years ago. Additionally, wetland expansion took place against the background of a decline in atmospheric methane concentration. The isotopic composition of methane varies according to source. Owing to ice sheet drilling programs past dynamics of atmospheric methane isotopic composition is now known. For example over the course of Pleistocene-Holocene transition atmospheric methane became depleted in the deuterium isotope, which indicated that the rise in methane concentrations was not connected with activation of the deuterium-rich gas clathrates. Modelling of the budget of the atmospheric methane and its isotopic composition allowed us to reconstruct the dynamics of all main methane sources. For the late Pleistocene, the largest methane source was megaherbivores, whose total biomass is estimated to have exceeded that of present-day humans and domestic animals. This corresponds with our independent estimates of herbivore density on the pastures of the late Pleistocene based on herbivore skeleton density in the permafrost. During deglaciation, the largest methane emissions originated from degrading frozen soils of the mammoth steppe biome. Methane from this source is unique, as it is depleted of all isotopes. We estimated that over the entire course of deglaciation (15,000 to 6,000 year before present), soils of the mammoth steppe released 300–550 Pg (1015 g) of methane. From current study we conclude that the Late Quaternary Extinction significantly affected the global

Martian Methane From a Cometary Source: A Hypothesis

Science.gov (United States)

Fries, M.; Christou, A.; Archer, D.; Conrad, P.; Cooke, W.; Eigenbrode, J.; ten Kate, I. L.; Matney, M.; Niles, P.; Sykes, M.;

HyFlux - Part I: Regional Modeling of Methane Flux From Near-Seafloor Gas Hydrate Deposits on Continental Margins

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, I. R.; Asper, V.; Garcia, O. P.; Kastner, M.; Leifer, I.; Naehr, T.; Solomon, E.; Yvon-Lewis, S.; Zimmer, B.

2008-12-01

HyFlux - Part I: Regional modeling of methane flux from near-seafloor gas hydrate deposits on continental margins MacDonald, I.R., Asper, V., Garcia, O., Kastner, M., Leifer, I., Naehr, T.H., Solomon, E., Yvon-Lewis, S., and Zimmer, B. The Dept. of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE/NETL) has recently awarded a project entitled HyFlux: "Remote sensing and sea-truth measurements of methane flux to the atmosphere." The project will address this problem with a combined effort of satellite remote sensing and data collection at proven sites in the Gulf of Mexico where gas hydrate releases gas to the water column. Submarine gas hydrate is a large pool of greenhouse gas that may interact with the atmosphere over geologic time to affect climate cycles. In the near term, the magnitude of methane reaching the atmosphere from gas hydrate on continental margins is poorly known because 1) gas hydrate is exposed to metastable oceanic conditions in shallow, dispersed deposits that are poorly imaged by standard geophysical techniques and 2) the consumption of methane in marine sediments and in the water column is subject to uncertainty. The northern GOM is a prolific hydrocarbon province where rapid migration of oil, gases, and brines from deep subsurface petroleum reservoirs occurs through faults generated by salt tectonics. Focused expulsion of hydrocarbons is manifested at the seafloor by gas vents, gas hydrates, oil seeps, chemosynthetic biological communities, and mud volcanoes. Where hydrocarbon seeps occur in depths below the hydrate stability zone (~500m), rapid flux of gas will feed shallow deposits of gas hydrate that potentially interact with water column temperature changes; oil released from seeps forms sea-surface features that can be detected in remote-sensing images. The regional phase of the project will quantify verifiable sources of methane (and oil) the Gulf of Mexico continental margin and selected margins (e.g. Pakistan Margin, South China Sea

Laboratory Studies of Methane and Its Relationship to Prebiotic Chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Kensei; Geppert, Wolf D; Carrasco, Nathalie; Holm, Nils G; Mousis, Olivier; Palumbo, Maria Elisabetta; Waite, J Hunter; Watanabe, Naoki; Ziurys, Lucy M

2017-08-01

To examine how prebiotic chemical evolution took place on Earth prior to the emergence of life, laboratory experiments have been conducted since the 1950s. Methane has been one of the key molecules in these investigations. In earlier studies, strongly reducing gas mixtures containing methane and ammonia were used to simulate possible reactions in the primitive atmosphere of Earth, producing amino acids and other organic compounds. Since Earth's early atmosphere is now considered to be less reducing, the contribution of extraterrestrial organics to chemical evolution has taken on an important role. Such organic molecules may have come from molecular clouds and regions of star formation that created protoplanetary disks, planets, asteroids, and comets. The interstellar origin of organics has been examined both experimentally and theoretically, including laboratory investigations that simulate interstellar molecular reactions. Endogenous and exogenous organics could also have been supplied to the primitive ocean, making submarine hydrothermal systems plausible sites of the generation of life. Experiments that simulate such hydrothermal systems where methane played an important role have consequently been conducted. Processes that occur in other Solar System bodies offer clues to the prebiotic chemistry of Earth. Titan and other icy bodies, where methane plays significant roles, are especially good targets. In the case of Titan, methane is both in the atmosphere and in liquidospheres that are composed of methane and other hydrocarbons, and these have been studied in simulation experiments. Here, we review the wide range of experimental work in which these various terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments have been modeled, and we examine the possible role of methane in chemical evolution. Key Words: Methane-Interstellar environments-Submarine hydrothermal systems-Titan-Origin of life. Astrobiology 17, 786-812.

Quantifying the relative contribution of natural gas fugitive emissions to total methane emissions in Colorado, Utah, and Texas using mobile isotopic methane analysis based on Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Rella, Chris; Winkler, Renato; Sweeney, Colm; Karion, Anna; Petron, Gabrielle; Crosson, Eric

2014-05-01

Fugitive emissions of methane into the atmosphere are a major concern facing the natural gas production industry. Because methane is more energy-rich than coal per kg of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere, it represents an attractive alternative to coal for electricity generation, provided that the fugitive emissions of methane are kept under control. A key step in assessing these emissions in a given region is partitioning the observed methane emissions between natural gas fugitive emissions and other sources of methane, such as from landfills or agricultural activities. One effective method for assessing the contribution of these different sources is stable isotope analysis, using the isotopic carbon signature to distinguish between natural gas and landfills or ruminants. We present measurements of methane using a mobile spectroscopic stable isotope analyzer based on cavity ringdown spectroscopy, in three intense natural gas producing regions of the United States: the Denver-Julesburg basin in Colorado, the Uintah basin in Utah, and the Barnett Shale in Texas. Performance of the CRDS isotope analyzer is presented, including precision, calibration, stability, and the potential for measurement bias due to other atmospheric constituents. Mobile isotope measurements of individual sources and in the nocturnal boundary layer have been combined to establish the fraction of the observed methane emissions that can be attributed to natural gas activities. The fraction of total methane emissions in the Denver-Julesburg basin attributed to natural gas emissions is 78 +/- 13%. In the Uinta basin, which has no other significant sources of methane, the fraction is 96% +/- 15%. In addition, results from the Barnett shale are presented, which includes a major urban center (Dallas / Ft. Worth). Methane emissions in this region are spatially highly heterogeneous. Spatially-resolved isotope and concentration measurements are interpreted using a simple emissions model to

Methane emission from natural wetlands: interplay between emergent macrophytes and soil microbial processes. A mini-review

Science.gov (United States)

Laanbroek, Hendrikus J.

2010-01-01

Background According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2007, natural wetlands contribute 20–39 % to the global emission of methane. The range in the estimated percentage of the contribution of these systems to the total release of this greenhouse gas is large due to differences in the nature of the emitting vegetation including the soil microbiota that interfere with the production and consumption of methane. Scope Methane is a dominant end-product of anaerobic mineralization processes. When all electron acceptors except carbon dioxide are used by the microbial community, methanogenesis is the ultimate pathway to mineralize organic carbon compounds. Emergent wetland plants play an important role in the emission of methane to the atmosphere. They produce the carbon necessary for the production of methane, but also facilitate the release of methane by the possession of a system of interconnected internal gas lacunas. Aquatic macrophytes are commonly adapted to oxygen-limited conditions as they prevail in flooded or waterlogged soils. By this system, oxygen is transported to the underground parts of the plants. Part of the oxygen transported downwards is released in the root zone, where it sustains a number of beneficial oxidation processes. Through the pores from which oxygen escapes from the plant into the root zone, methane can enter the plant aerenchyma system and subsequently be emitted into the atmosphere. Part of the oxygen released into the root zone can be used to oxidize methane before it enters the atmosphere. However, the oxygen can also be used to regenerate alternative electron acceptors. The continuous supply of alternative electron acceptors will diminish the role of methanogenesis in the anaerobic mineralization processes in the root zone and therefore repress the production and emission of methane. The role of alternative element cycles in the inhibition of methanogenesis is discussed. Conclusions The role of the nitrogen

Impact of a global warming on biospheric sources of methane and its climatic consequences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hameed, S; Cess, R D

1983-01-01

Most atmospheric methane originates by bacterial processes in anaerobic environments within the soil, which become more productive with increases in ambient temperature. A warming of the climate, due to increasing levels of industrial gases resulting from fossil fuel burning, is likely to increase methane concentrations within the atmosphere, possibly leading to further heating, since both methane and ozone (which is generated in the troposphere from reactions of methane) have greenhouse effects. Investigators explored this feedback mechanism using a coupled climate-chemical model of the troposphere, by calculating the impact of the predicted global warming due to increased emissions of carbon dioxide and other industrial gases on the biospheric sources of methane. Although they found this climate feedback to be, by itself, relatively minor, it can produce measurable increases in atmospheric CH/sub 4/ concentration, a quantity that should additionally increase as a consequence of increasing anthropogenic emissions of CO and CH/sub 4/.

Photosynthesis in Hydrogen-Dominated Atmospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Bains, William; Seager, Sara; Zsom, Andras

2014-01-01

The diversity of extrasolar planets discovered in the last decade shows that we should not be constrained to look for life in environments similar to early or present-day Earth. Super-Earth exoplanets are being discovered with increasing frequency, and some will be able to retain a stable, hydrogen-dominated atmosphere. We explore the possibilities for photosynthesis on a rocky planet with a thin H2-dominated atmosphere. If a rocky, H2-dominated planet harbors life, then that life is likely to convert atmospheric carbon into methane. Outgassing may also build an atmosphere in which methane is the principal carbon species. We describe the possible chemical routes for photosynthesis starting from methane and show that less energy and lower energy photons could drive CH4-based photosynthesis as compared with CO2-based photosynthesis. We find that a by-product biosignature gas is likely to be H2, which is not distinct from the hydrogen already present in the environment. Ammonia is a potential biosignature gas of hydrogenic photosynthesis that is unlikely to be generated abiologically. We suggest that the evolution of methane-based photosynthesis is at least as likely as the evolution of anoxygenic photosynthesis on Earth and may support the evolution of complex life. PMID:25411926

Photosynthesis in Hydrogen-Dominated Atmospheres

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William Bains

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The diversity of extrasolar planets discovered in the last decade shows that we should not be constrained to look for life in environments similar to early or present-day Earth. Super-Earth exoplanets are being discovered with increasing frequency, and some will be able to retain a stable, hydrogen-dominated atmosphere. We explore the possibilities for photosynthesis on a rocky planet with a thin H2-dominated atmosphere. If a rocky, H2-dominated planet harbors life, then that life is likely to convert atmospheric carbon into methane. Outgassing may also build an atmosphere in which methane is the principal carbon species. We describe the possible chemical routes for photosynthesis starting from methane and show that less energy and lower energy photons could drive CH4-based photosynthesis as compared with CO2-based photosynthesis. We find that a by-product biosignature gas is likely to be H2, which is not distinct from the hydrogen already present in the environment. Ammonia is a potential biosignature gas of hydrogenic photosynthesis that is unlikely to be generated abiologically. We suggest that the evolution of methane-based photosynthesis is at least as likely as the evolution of anoxygenic photosynthesis on Earth and may support the evolution of complex life.

DEVELOPING ATMOSPHERIC RETRIEVAL METHODS FOR DIRECT IMAGING SPECTROSCOPY OF GAS GIANTS IN REFLECTED LIGHT. I. METHANE ABUNDANCES AND BASIC CLOUD PROPERTIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lupu, Roxana E. [BAER Institute/NASA Ames Research Center, Moffet Field, CA 94035 (United States); Marley, Mark S.; Zahnle, Kevin [NASA Ames Research Center, Moffet Field, CA 94035 (United States); Lewis, Nikole [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Line, Michael [Univ. California at Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Traub, Wesley A., E-mail: Roxana.E.Lupu@nasa.gov [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States)

2016-12-01

Upcoming space-based coronagraphic instruments in the next decade will perform reflected light spectroscopy and photometry of cool directly imaged extrasolar giant planets. We are developing a new atmospheric retrieval methodology to help assess the science return and inform the instrument design for such future missions, and ultimately interpret the resulting observations. Our retrieval technique employs a geometric albedo model coupled with both a Markov chain Monte Carlo Ensemble Sampler ( emcee ) and a multimodal nested sampling algorithm ( MultiNest ) to map the posterior distribution. This combination makes the global evidence calculation more robust for any given model and highlights possible discrepancies in the likelihood maps. As a proof of concept, our current atmospheric model contains one or two cloud layers, methane as a major absorber, and a H{sub 2}–He background gas. This 6-to-9 parameter model is appropriate for Jupiter-like planets and can be easily expanded in the future. In addition to deriving the marginal likelihood distribution and confidence intervals for the model parameters, we perform model selection to determine the significance of methane and cloud detection as a function of expected signal-to-noise ratio in the presence of spectral noise correlations. After internal validation, the method is applied to realistic spectra of Jupiter, Saturn, and HD 99492c, a model observing target. We find that the presence or absence of clouds and methane can be determined with high confidence, while parameter uncertainties are model dependent and correlated. Such general methods will also be applicable to the interpretation of direct imaging spectra of cloudy terrestrial planets.

Laboratory Studies of Methane and Its Relationship to Prebiotic Chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Kensei; Geppert, Wolf D.; Carrasco, Nathalie; Holm, Nils G.; Mousis, Olivier; Palumbo, Maria Elisabetta; Waite, J. Hunter; Watanabe, Naoki; Ziurys, Lucy M.

2017-08-01

To examine how prebiotic chemical evolution took place on Earth prior to the emergence of life, laboratory experiments have been conducted since the 1950s. Methane has been one of the key molecules in these investigations. In earlier studies, strongly reducing gas mixtures containing methane and ammonia were used to simulate possible reactions in the primitive atmosphere of Earth, producing amino acids and other organic compounds. Since Earth's early atmosphere is now considered to be less reducing, the contribution of extraterrestrial organics to chemical evolution has taken on an important role. Such organic molecules may have come from molecular clouds and regions of star formation that created protoplanetary disks, planets, asteroids, and comets. The interstellar origin of organics has been examined both experimentally and theoretically, including laboratory investigations that simulate interstellar molecular reactions. Endogenous and exogenous organics could also have been supplied to the primitive ocean, making submarine hydrothermal systems plausible sites of the generation of life. Experiments that simulate such hydrothermal systems where methane played an important role have consequently been conducted. Processes that occur in other Solar System bodies offer clues to the prebiotic chemistry of Earth. Titan and other icy bodies, where methane plays significant roles, are especially good targets. In the case of Titan, methane is both in the atmosphere and in liquidospheres that are composed of methane and other hydrocarbons, and these have been studied in simulation experiments. Here, we review the wide range of experimental work in which these various terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments have been modeled, and we examine the possible role of methane in chemical evolution.

Large methane releases lead to strong aerosol forcing and reduced cloudiness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Kurtén

2011-07-01

Full Text Available The release of vast quantities of methane into the atmosphere as a result of clathrate destabilization is a potential mechanism for rapid amplification of global warming. Previous studies have calculated the enhanced warming based mainly on the radiative effect of the methane itself, with smaller contributions from the associated carbon dioxide or ozone increases. Here, we study the effect of strongly elevated methane (CH₄ levels on oxidant and aerosol particle concentrations using a combination of chemistry-transport and general circulation models. A 10-fold increase in methane concentrations is predicted to significantly decrease hydroxyl radical (OH concentrations, while moderately increasing ozone (O₃. These changes lead to a 70 % increase in the atmospheric lifetime of methane, and an 18 % decrease in global mean cloud droplet number concentrations (CDNC. The CDNC change causes a radiative forcing that is comparable in magnitude to the longwave radiative forcing ("enhanced greenhouse effect" of the added methane. Together, the indirect CH₄-O₃ and CH₄-OH-aerosol forcings could more than double the warming effect of large methane increases. Our findings may help explain the anomalously large temperature changes associated with historic methane releases.

Opportunities to reduce methane emissions in the natural gas industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cowgill, R.M. [Radian Corporation, Austin, TX (United States)

1995-12-31

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Gas Research Institute (GRI) cofunded a project to quantify methane (CH{sub 4}) emissions from the U.S. natural gas industry. Methane, the major constituent of natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas that is believed to increase the effect of global warming when released to the atmosphere. Reducing emissions from natural gas systems would lessen the greenhouse gas effect attributable to atmospheric CH{sub 4}. Further, mitigation methods to reduce emissions of natural gas, a marketable resource, could save money and increase energy efficiency. This presentation summarizes the major sources and quantity of methane being emitted to the atmosphere for all segments of the U.S. gas industry: production; processing; storage; transmission; and distribution. A description of how those emissions were determined is included here, as well as a discussion of which sources are potential candidates for reducing emissions. (author)

Opportunities to reduce methane emissions in the natural gas industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cowgill, R M [Radian Corporation, Austin, TX (United States)

1996-12-31

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Gas Research Institute (GRI) cofunded a project to quantify methane (CH{sub 4}) emissions from the U.S. natural gas industry. Methane, the major constituent of natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas that is believed to increase the effect of global warming when released to the atmosphere. Reducing emissions from natural gas systems would lessen the greenhouse gas effect attributable to atmospheric CH{sub 4}. Further, mitigation methods to reduce emissions of natural gas, a marketable resource, could save money and increase energy efficiency. This presentation summarizes the major sources and quantity of methane being emitted to the atmosphere for all segments of the U.S. gas industry: production; processing; storage; transmission; and distribution. A description of how those emissions were determined is included here, as well as a discussion of which sources are potential candidates for reducing emissions. (author)

Opportunities to reduce methane emissions in the natural gas industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cowgill, R.M.

1995-01-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Gas Research Institute (GRI) cofunded a project to quantify methane (CH 4 ) emissions from the U.S. natural gas industry. Methane, the major constituent of natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas that is believed to increase the effect of global warming when released to the atmosphere. Reducing emissions from natural gas systems would lessen the greenhouse gas effect attributable to atmospheric CH 4 . Further, mitigation methods to reduce emissions of natural gas, a marketable resource, could save money and increase energy efficiency. This presentation summarizes the major sources and quantity of methane being emitted to the atmosphere for all segments of the U.S. gas industry: production; processing; storage; transmission; and distribution. A description of how those emissions were determined is included here, as well as a discussion of which sources are potential candidates for reducing emissions. (author)

Reducing methane emissions from ruminant animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mathison, G.W.; Okine, E.K.; McAllister, T.A.; Dong, Y.; Galbraith, J.; Dmytruk, O.I.N. [University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB (Canada). Dept. of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Science

1998-09-01

In 1992 it was estimated that 30 x 10{sup 12}g more methane was emitted into the atmosphere than was removed, with animals being considered the largest single anthropogenic source. Ruminants produce 97% of the methane generated in enteric fermentation by animals. Estimates for methane emissions from animal wastes vary between 6 and 31% of that produced directly by the animal, with the most likely value being between 5 and 10% globally. Methane inhibitors can reduce methane emissions to zero in the short term but due to microbial adaptation the effects of these compounds are quickly neutralized and feed intake is often depressed. Methane emissions per unit of feed consumed from sheep and cattle fed hay diets appear to be quite similar but differences between other ruminants have been measured. The most practical way of influencing methane emissions per unit product is to increase productivity level since the proportion of feed energy required to just maintain the animal will be reduced, methane production falls with increased intake level, and the animal may go to market sooner. The most promising avenues for future research for reducing methanogenesis are the development of new products for reducing protozoal numbers in the rumen and the use of bacterocins or other compounds which specifically target methanogenic bacteria.

Carbon dioxide reforming of methane by atmospheric pressure pulsed glow discharge: The effect of pulse compression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghorbanzadeh, A.; Modarresi, H.

2006-01-01

Methane reforming by carbon dioxide in atmospheric pressure pulsed glow discharge was examined. The pulse duration of plasma was compressed to ∼50 ns or lower. This compression allowed working at higher frequencies, more than 3 k Hz, without glow to arc transition. The main outlet gases were synthetic gases (H 2 , CO) and C 2 (ethylene, ethane, and acetylene) products. At equal reactants proportion CO 2 /CH 4 =1, about 42 p ercent o f plasma energy went to chemical dissociation while reactant conversions were relatively high, i.e. near 55 p ercent % (CH 4 ) and 42 p ercent ( CO 2 ). At this point, the energy expenditure was less than 3.8 eV per each converted molecule. The reactor energy performance even gets better at higher CO 2 /CH 4 proportions. At CO 2 /CH 4 =5, The conversions of about 65 p ercent a nd 45 p ercent w ere obtained for methane and carbon dioxide respectively, while energy efficiency reached near 45 p ercent . It is discussed that high nonequilibrium state of vibrational energy at short pulses, especially in carbon dioxide, leads to this improvement.

A marine microbial consortium apparently mediating anaerobic oxidation of methane

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boetius, A.; Ravenschlag, K.; Schubert, CJ

2000-01-01

microorganisms mediating this reaction have not yet been isolated, and the pathway of anaerobic oxidation of methane is insufficiently understood. Recent data suggest that certain archaea reverse the process of methanogenesis by interaction with sulphate-reducing bacteria(5-7). Here we provide microscopic...... cells and are surrounded by sulphate-reducing bacteria. These aggregates were abundant in gas-hydrate-rich sediments with extremely high rates of methane-based sulphate reduction, and apparently mediate anaerobic oxidation of methane.......A large fraction of globally produced methane is converted to CO2 by anaerobic oxidation in marine sediments(1). Strong geochemical evidence for net methane consumption in anoxic sediments is based on methane profiles(2), radiotracer experiments(3) and stable carbon isotope data(4). But the elusive...

Marine methane cycle simulations for the period of early global warming

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elliott, S.; Maltrud, M.; Reagan, M.T.; Moridis, G.J.; Cameron-Smith, P.J.

2011-01-02

Geochemical environments, fates, and effects are modeled for methane released into seawater by the decomposition of climate-sensitive clathrates. A contemporary global background cycle is first constructed, within the framework of the Parallel Ocean Program. Input from organics in the upper thermocline is related to oxygen levels, and microbial consumption is parameterized from available rate measurements. Seepage into bottom layers is then superimposed, representing typical seabed fluid flow. The resulting CH{sub 4} distribution is validated against surface saturation ratios, vertical sections, and slope plume studies. Injections of clathrate-derived methane are explored by distributing a small number of point sources around the Arctic continental shelf, where stocks are extensive and susceptible to instability during the first few decades of global warming. Isolated bottom cells are assigned dissolved gas fluxes from porous-media simulation. Given the present bulk removal pattern, methane does not penetrate far from emission sites. Accumulated effects, however, spread to the regional scale following the modeled current system. Both hypoxification and acidification are documented. Sensitivity studies illustrate a potential for material restrictions to broaden the perturbations, since methanotrophic consumers require nutrients and trace metals. When such factors are considered, methane buildup within the Arctic basin is enhanced. However, freshened polar surface waters act as a barrier to atmospheric transfer, diverting products into the deep return flow. Uncertainties in the logic and calculations are enumerated including those inherent in high-latitude clathrate abundance, buoyant effluent rise through the column, representation of the general circulation, and bacterial growth kinetics.

Marine methane cycle simulations for the period of early global warming

Science.gov (United States)

Elliott, Scott; Maltrud, Mathew; Reagan, Matthew; Moridis, George; Cameron-Smith, Philip

2011-03-01

Geochemical environments, fates, and effects are modeled for methane released into seawater by the decomposition of climate-sensitive clathrates. A contemporary global background cycle is first constructed, within the framework of the Parallel Ocean Program. Input from organics in the upper thermocline is related to oxygen levels, and microbial consumption is parameterized from available rate measurements. Seepage into bottom layers is then superimposed, representing typical seabed fluid flow. The resulting CH4 distribution is validated against surface saturation ratios, vertical sections, and slope plume studies. Injections of clathrate-derived methane are explored by distributing a small number of point sources around the Arctic continental shelf, where stocks are extensive and susceptible to instability during the first few decades of global warming. Isolated bottom cells are assigned dissolved gas fluxes from porous-media simulation. Given the present bulk removal pattern, methane does not penetrate far from emission sites. Accumulated effects, however, spread to the regional scale following the modeled current system. Both hypoxification and acidification are documented. Sensitivity studies illustrate a potential for material restrictions to broaden the perturbations, since methanotrophic consumers require nutrients and trace metals. When such factors are considered, methane buildup within the Arctic basin is enhanced. However, freshened polar surface waters act as a barrier to atmospheric transfer, diverting products into the deep return flow. Uncertainties in the logic and calculations are enumerated including those inherent in high-latitude clathrate abundance, buoyant effluent rise through the column, representation of the general circulation, and bacterial growth kinetics.

CYANOBACTERIA FOR MITIGATING METHANE EMISSION FROM SUBMERGED PADDY FIELDS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Upasana Mishra; Shalini Anand [Department of Environmental Studies, Inderprastha Engineering College, Sahibabad, Ghaziabad (India)

2008-09-30

Atmospheric methane, a potent greenhouse gas with high absorption potential for infrared radiation, is responsible for one forth of the total anticipated warming. It is forming a major part of green house gases, next after carbon dioxide. Its concentration has been increasing alarmingly on an average at the rate of one percent per year. Atmospheric methane, originating mainly from biogenic sources such as paddy fields, natural wetlands and landfills, accounts for 15-20% of the world's total anthropogenic methane emission. With intensification of rice cultivation in coming future, methane emissions from paddy fields are anticipated to increase. India's share in world's rice production is next after to China and likewise total methane emission from paddy fields also. Methane oxidation through planktophytes, particularly microalgae which are autotrophic and abundant in rice rhizospheres, hold promise in controlling methane emission from submerged paddy fields. The present study is focused on the role of nitrogen fixing, heterocystous cyanobacteria and Azolla (a water fern harboring a cyanobacterium Anabaena azollae) as biological sink for headspace concentration of methane in flooded soils. In this laboratory study, soil samples containing five potent nitrogen fixer cyanobacterial strains from paddy fields, were examined for their methane reducing potential. Soil sample without cyanobacterial strain was tested and taken as control. Anabaena sp. was found most effective in inhibiting methane concentration by 5-6 folds over the control. Moist soil cores treated with chemical nitrogen, urea, in combination with cyanobacteria mixture, Azolla microphylla or cyanobacteria mixture plus Azolla microphylla exhibited significance reduction in the headspace concentration of methane than the soil cores treated with urea alone. Contrary to other reports, this study also demonstrates that methane oxidation in soil core samples from paddy fields was stimulated by

Methane hydrates in quaternary climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennett, J. P.; Hill, T. M.; Behl, R. J.

2005-01-01

The hydrate reservoir in marine sediments is known to contain a large volume of exchangeable carbon stored as solid methane hydrate and associated free gas. This reservoir has been shown to be potentially unstable in response to changing intermediate water temperature and sea level (pressure). Evidence continues to grow for past episodes of major methane release at times of climatic warming. Yet few studies of late Quaternary climate change include methane hydrates as an integral part of the global climate system, in spite of the largest known oscillations at this time in sea level and upper ocean temperature changes for the Cenozoic or earlier, conditions that favor instability of the methane hydrate reservoir. Abrupt increases in atmospheric methane recorded in polar ice cores are widely believed to have resulted, not from ocean-floor methane degassing, but instead from continental wetland activation, a hypothesis thus far unsupported by geological data. Furthermore, as part of this Wetland Methane Hypothesis, the abrupt methane increases have been seen as a response to climatic warming rather than contributing significantly to the change. An alternative view (formulated as the Clathrate Gun Hypothesis) is that the speed, magnitude and timing of abrupt climate change in the recent geologic past are consistent with the process of major degassing of methane hydrates. We summarize aspects of this hypothesis here and needs to test this hypothesis. (Author)

Biologically Produced Methane as a Renewable Energy Source.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmes, D E; Smith, J A

2016-01-01

Methanogens are a unique group of strictly anaerobic archaea that are more metabolically diverse than previously thought. Traditionally, it was thought that methanogens could only generate methane by coupling the oxidation of products formed by fermentative bacteria with the reduction of CO 2 . However, it has recently been observed that many methanogens can also use electrons extruded from metal-respiring bacteria, biocathodes, or insoluble electron shuttles as energy sources. Methanogens are found in both human-made and natural environments and are responsible for the production of ∼71% of the global atmospheric methane. Their habitats range from the human digestive tract to hydrothermal vents. Although biologically produced methane can negatively impact the environment if released into the atmosphere, when captured, it can serve as a potent fuel source. The anaerobic digestion of wastes such as animal manure, human sewage, or food waste produces biogas which is composed of ∼60% methane. Methane from biogas can be cleaned to yield purified methane (biomethane) that can be readily incorporated into natural gas pipelines making it a promising renewable energy source. Conventional anaerobic digestion is limited by long retention times, low organics removal efficiencies, and low biogas production rates. Therefore, many studies are being conducted to improve the anaerobic digestion process. Researchers have found that addition of conductive materials and/or electrically active cathodes to anaerobic digesters can stimulate the digestion process and increase methane content of biogas. It is hoped that optimization of anaerobic digesters will make biogas more readily accessible to the average person. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A post-Cassini view of Titan's methane-based hydrologic cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, Alexander G.; Lorenz, Ralph D.; Lunine, Jonathan I.

2018-05-01

The methane-based hydrologic cycle on Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is an extreme analogue to Earth's water cycle. Titan is the only planetary body in the Solar System, other than Earth, that is known to have an active hydrologic cycle. With a surface pressure of 1.5 bar and temperatures of 90 to 95 K, methane and ethane condense out of a nitrogen-based atmosphere and flow as liquids on the moon's surface. Exchange processes between atmospheric, surface and subsurface reservoirs produce methane and ethane cloud systems, as well as erosional and depositional landscapes that have strikingly similar forms to their terrestrial counterparts. Over its 13-year exploration of the Saturn system, the Cassini-Huygens mission revealed that Titan's hydrocarbon-based hydrology is driven by nested methane cycles that operate over a range of timescales, including geologic, orbital (for example, Croll-Milankovitch cycles), seasonal and that of a single convective storm. In this Review Article, we describe the dominant exchange processes that operate over these timescales and present a post-Cassini view of Titan's methane-based hydrologic system.

A biomimetic methane-oxidising catalyst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dalton, H [Warwick Univ., Coventry (United Kingdom). Dept. of Biological Sciences

1997-12-31

The diminishing resources of petroleum oil has meant that there has been considerable efforts in recent years to find a suitable substitute for gasoline as a transportation fuel. Methanol has been identified as a suitable substitute since it is a readily combustible fuel which can be manufactured from a number of different sources. Methane is commonly used as a starting material for the production of synthesis gas (CO + H{sub 2}) and hence methanol. It is well known that the cleavage of the C-H bond of methane is extremely difficult (bond energy is around 104 kcal/mol) and that fairly drastic conditions are required to convert methane into methanol. Temperatures around 1200 deg C and pressures of up to 100 atmospheres over metal catalysts in a series of reactions are required to effect this process. Efforts have been made to reduce the temperature and the number of steps by using lanthanide ruthenium oxide catalyst but such reactions are still thermodynamically endothermic. An energetically more efficient reaction would be the direct conversion of methane to methanol using oxygen as the oxidant: CH{sub 4} + 1/2O{sub 2} -> CH{sub 3}OH {Delta}H deg = - 30.7 kcal/mol. Such a direct oxidation route is manifest in the bacterially-mediated oxidation of methane by methanotrophic bacteria. These organisms effect the direct oxidation of methane to methanol by the enzyme methane monooxygenase (MMO) as part of the reaction sequences to oxidize methane to carbon dioxide. (14 refs.)

A biomimetic methane-oxidising catalyst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dalton, H. [Warwick Univ., Coventry (United Kingdom). Dept. of Biological Sciences

1996-12-31

The diminishing resources of petroleum oil has meant that there has been considerable efforts in recent years to find a suitable substitute for gasoline as a transportation fuel. Methanol has been identified as a suitable substitute since it is a readily combustible fuel which can be manufactured from a number of different sources. Methane is commonly used as a starting material for the production of synthesis gas (CO + H{sub 2}) and hence methanol. It is well known that the cleavage of the C-H bond of methane is extremely difficult (bond energy is around 104 kcal/mol) and that fairly drastic conditions are required to convert methane into methanol. Temperatures around 1200 deg C and pressures of up to 100 atmospheres over metal catalysts in a series of reactions are required to effect this process. Efforts have been made to reduce the temperature and the number of steps by using lanthanide ruthenium oxide catalyst but such reactions are still thermodynamically endothermic. An energetically more efficient reaction would be the direct conversion of methane to methanol using oxygen as the oxidant: CH{sub 4} + 1/2O{sub 2} -> CH{sub 3}OH {Delta}H deg = - 30.7 kcal/mol. Such a direct oxidation route is manifest in the bacterially-mediated oxidation of methane by methanotrophic bacteria. These organisms effect the direct oxidation of methane to methanol by the enzyme methane monooxygenase (MMO) as part of the reaction sequences to oxidize methane to carbon dioxide. (14 refs.)

Fiber Optic Raman Spectroscopy for Detection of Methane Hydrates and Related Species

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Hart, Sean

2001-01-01

.... The feasibility of using this system for methane hydrate detection is evaluated through the use of organic surrogate molecules, due to the low solubility of methane in water at atmospheric pressures...

Temporal variation of aerobic methane oxidation over a tidal cycle in a wetland of northern Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, T. Y.; Wang, P. L.; Lin, L. H.

2017-12-01

Aerobic methanotrophy plays an important role in controlling methane emitted from wetlands. However, the activity of aerobic methanotrophy regulated by temporal fluctuation of oxygen and methane supply in tidal wetlands is not well known. This study aims to examine the dynamics of methane fluxes and potential aerobic methane consumption rates in a tidal wetland of northern Taiwan, where the variation of environmental characteristics, such as sulfate and methane concentration in pore water has been demonstrated during a tidal cycle. Two field campaigns were carried out in December of 2016 and March of 2017. Fluxes of methane emission, methane concentrations in surface sediments and oxygen profiles were measured at different tidal phases. Besides, batch incubations were conducted on surface sediments in order to quantify potential microbial methane consumption rates and to derive the kinetic parameters for aerobic methanotrophy. Our results demonstrated temporal changes of the surface methane concentration and the methane emission flux during a tidal cycle, while the oxygen flux into the sediment was kept at a similar magnitude. The methane flux was low when the surface was exposed for both shortest and longest periods of time. The potential aerobic methane oxidation rate was high for sample collected from the surface sediments exposed the longest. No correlation could be found between the potential aerobic methane oxidation rate and either the oxygen downward flux or methane emission flux. The decoupled relationships between these observed rates and fluxes suggest that, rather than aerobic methanotrophy, heterotrophic respirations exert a profound control on oxygen flux, and the methane emission is not only been affected by methane consumption but also methane production at depths. The maximum potential rate and the half saturation concentration determined from the batch incubations were high for the surface sediments collected in low tide, suggesting that aerobic

Glacial-interglacial water cycle, global monsoon and atmospheric methane changes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, Zhengtang; Wu, Haibin [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Beijing (China); Zhou, Xin [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Beijing (China); University of Science and Technology of China, School of Earth and Space Sciences and Institute of Polar Environment, Hefei (China)

2012-09-15

The causes of atmospheric methane (CH{sub 4}) changes are still a major contention, in particular with regards to the relative contributions of glacial-interglacial cycles, monsoons in both hemispheres and the late Holocene human intervention. Here, we explore the CH{sub 4} signals in the Antarctic EPICA Dome C and Vostok ice records using the methods of timeseries analyses and correlate them with insolation and geological records to address these issues. The results parse out three distinct groups of CH{sub 4} signals attributable to different drivers. The first group ({proportional_to}80% variance), well tracking the marine {delta}{sup 18}O record, is attributable to glacial-interglacial modulation on the global water cycle with the effects shared by wetlands at all latitudes, from monsoonal and non-monsoonal regions in both hemispheres. The second group ({proportional_to}15% variance), centered at the {proportional_to}10-kyr semi-precession frequency, is linkable with insolation-driven tropical monsoon changes in both hemispheres. The third group ({proportional_to}5% variance), marked by millennial frequencies, is seemingly related with the combined effect of ice-volume and bi-hemispheric insolation changes at the precession bands. These results indicate that bi-hemispheric monsoon changes have been a constant driver of atmospheric CH{sub 4}. This mechanism also partially explains the Holocene CH{sub 4} reversal since {proportional_to}5 kyr BP besides the human intervention. In the light of these results, we propose that global monsoon can be regarded as a system consisting of two main integrated components, one primarily driven by the oscillations of Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in response to the low-latitude summer insolation changes, anti-phase between the two hemispheres (i.e. the ITCZ monsoon component); and another modulated by the glacial-interglacial cycles, mostly synchronous at the global scale (i.e. the glacial-interglacial monsoon

Cryptic Methane Emissions from Upland Forest Ecosystems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Megonigal, Patrick [Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC (United States); Pitz, Scott [Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States); Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC (United States)

2016-04-19

This exploratory research on Cryptic Methane Emissions from Upland Forest Ecosystems was motivated by evidence that upland ecosystems emit 36% as much methane to the atmosphere as global wetlands, yet we knew almost nothing about this source. The long-term objective was to refine Earth system models by quantifying methane emissions from upland forests, and elucidate the biogeochemical processes that govern upland methane emissions. The immediate objectives of the grant were to: (i) test the emerging paradigm that upland trees unexpectedly transpire methane, (ii) test the basic biogeochemical assumptions of an existing global model of upland methane emissions, and (iii) develop the suite of biogeochemical approaches that will be needed to advance research on upland methane emissions. We instrumented a temperate forest system in order to explore the processes that govern upland methane emissions. We demonstrated that methane is emitted from the stems of dominant tree species in temperate upland forests. Tree emissions occurred throughout the growing season, while soils adjacent to the trees consumed methane simultaneously, challenging the concept that forests are uniform sinks of methane. High frequency measurements revealed diurnal cycling in the rate of methane emissions, pointing to soils as the methane source and transpiration as the most likely pathway for methane transport. We propose the forests are smaller methane sinks than previously estimated due to stem emissions. Stem emissions may be particularly important in upland tropical forests characterized by high rainfall and transpiration, resolving differences between models and measurements. The methods we used can be effectively implemented in order to determine if the phenomenon is widespread.

Variability and quasi-decadal changes in the methane budget over the period 2000-2012

Science.gov (United States)

Saunois, Marielle; Bousquet, Philippe; Poulter, Ben; Peregon, Anna; Ciais, Philippe; Canadell, Josep G.; Dlugokencky, Edward J.; Etiope, Giuseppe; Bastviken, David; Houweling, Sander; Janssens-Maenhout, Greet; Tubiello, Francesco N.; Castaldi, Simona; Jackson, Robert B.; Alexe, Mihai; Arora, Vivek K.; Beerling, David J.; Bergamaschi, Peter; Blake, Donald R.; Brailsford, Gordon; Bruhwiler, Lori; Crevoisier, Cyril; Crill, Patrick; Covey, Kristofer; Frankenberg, Christian; Gedney, Nicola; Höglund-Isaksson, Lena; Ishizawa, Misa; Ito, Akihiko; Joos, Fortunat; Kim, Heon-Sook; Kleinen, Thomas; Krummel, Paul; Lamarque, Jean-François; Langenfelds, Ray; Locatelli, Robin; Machida, Toshinobu; Maksyutov, Shamil; Melton, Joe R.; Morino, Isamu; Naik, Vaishali; O'Doherty, Simon; Parmentier, Frans-Jan W.; Patra, Prabir K.; Peng, Changhui; Peng, Shushi; Peters, Glen P.; Pison, Isabelle; Prinn, Ronald; Ramonet, Michel; Riley, William J.; Saito, Makoto; Santini, Monia; Schroeder, Ronny; Simpson, Isobel J.; Spahni, Renato; Takizawa, Atsushi; Thornton, Brett F.; Tian, Hanqin; Tohjima, Yasunori; Viovy, Nicolas; Voulgarakis, Apostolos; Weiss, Ray; Wilton, David J.; Wiltshire, Andy; Worthy, Doug; Wunch, Debra; Xu, Xiyan; Yoshida, Yukio; Zhang, Bowen; Zhang, Zhen; Zhu, Qiuan

2017-09-01

Following the recent Global Carbon Project (GCP) synthesis of the decadal methane (CH4) budget over 2000-2012 (Saunois et al., 2016), we analyse here the same dataset with a focus on quasi-decadal and inter-annual variability in CH4 emissions. The GCP dataset integrates results from top-down studies (exploiting atmospheric observations within an atmospheric inverse-modelling framework) and bottom-up models (including process-based models for estimating land surface emissions and atmospheric chemistry), inventories of anthropogenic emissions, and data-driven approaches. The annual global methane emissions from top-down studies, which by construction match the observed methane growth rate within their uncertainties, all show an increase in total methane emissions over the period 2000-2012, but this increase is not linear over the 13 years. Despite differences between individual studies, the mean emission anomaly of the top-down ensemble shows no significant trend in total methane emissions over the period 2000-2006, during the plateau of atmospheric methane mole fractions, and also over the period 2008-2012, during the renewed atmospheric methane increase. However, the top-down ensemble mean produces an emission shift between 2006 and 2008, leading to 22 [16-32] Tg CH4 yr-1 higher methane emissions over the period 2008-2012 compared to 2002-2006. This emission increase mostly originated from the tropics, with a smaller contribution from mid-latitudes and no significant change from boreal regions. The regional contributions remain uncertain in top-down studies. Tropical South America and South and East Asia seem to contribute the most to the emission increase in the tropics. However, these two regions have only limited atmospheric measurements and remain therefore poorly constrained. The sectorial partitioning of this emission increase between the periods 2002-2006 and 2008-2012 differs from one atmospheric inversion study to another. However, all top-down studies

Limited contribution of ancient methane to surface waters of the U.S. Beaufort Sea shelf

Science.gov (United States)

Sparrow, Katy J.; Kessler, John D.; Southon, John R.; Garcia-Tigreros, Fenix; Schreiner, Kathryn M.; Ruppel, Carolyn D.; Miller, John B.; Lehman, Scott J.; Xu, Xiaomei

2018-01-01

In response to warming climate, methane can be released to Arctic Ocean sediment and waters from thawing subsea permafrost and decomposing methane hydrates. However, it is unknown whether methane derived from this sediment storehouse of frozen ancient carbon reaches the atmosphere. We quantified the fraction of methane derived from ancient sources in shelf waters of the U.S. Beaufort Sea, a region that has both permafrost and methane hydrates and is experiencing significant warming. Although the radiocarbon-methane analyses indicate that ancient carbon is being mobilized and emitted as methane into shelf bottom waters, surprisingly, we find that methane in surface waters is principally derived from modern-aged carbon. We report that at and beyond approximately the 30-m isobath, ancient sources that dominate in deep waters contribute, at most, 10 ± 3% of the surface water methane. These results suggest that even if there is a heightened liberation of ancient carbon–sourced methane as climate change proceeds, oceanic oxidation and dispersion processes can strongly limit its emission to the atmosphere.

Decarbonisation of fossil energy via methane pyrolysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kreysa, G.; Agar, D.W.; Schultz, I. [Technische Univ. Dortmund (Germany)

2010-12-30

Despite the rising consumption of energy over the last few decades, the proven reserves of fossil fuels have steadily increased. Additionally, there are potentially tremendous reserves of methane hydrates available, which remain to be exploited. The use of fossil energy sources is thus increasingly being dictated less by supply than by the environmental concerns raised by climate change. In the context of the decarbonisation of the global energy system that this has stimulated, new means must be explored for using methane as energy source. Noncatalytic thermal pyrolysis of methane is proposed here as a promising concept for utilising methane with low to zero carbon dioxide emissions. Following cracking, only the energy content of the hydrogen is used, while the carbon can be stored safely and retrievably in disused coal mines. The thermodynamics and different process engineering concepts for the technical realisation of such a carbon moratorium technology are discussed. The possible contribution of methane pyrolysis to carbon negative geoengineering is also addressed. (orig.)

Methane emission by bubbling from Gatun Lake, Panama

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, Michael; Stallard, Robert F.

1994-01-01

We studied methane emission by bubbling from Gatun Lake, Panama, at water depths of less than 1 m to about 10 m. Gas bubbles were collected in floating traps deployed during 12- to 60-hour observation periods. Comparison of floating traps and floating chambers showed that about 98% of methane emission occurred by bubbling and only 2% occurred by diffusion. Average methane concentration of bubbles at our sites varied from 67% to 77%. Methane emission by bubbling occurred episodically, with greatest rates primarily between the hours of 0800 and 1400 LT. Events appear to be triggered by wind. The flux of methane associated with bubbling was strongly anticorrelated with water depth. Seasonal changes in water depth caused seasonal variation of methane emission. Bubble methane fluxes through the lake surface into the atmosphere measured during 24-hour intervals were least (10-200 mg/m2/d) at deeper sites (greater than 7 m) and greatest (300-2000 mg/m2/d) at shallow sites (less than 2 m).

Small Molecule Catalysts for Harvesting Methane Gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baker, S. E. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Ceron-Hernandez, M. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Oakdale, J. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Lau, E. Y. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2016-12-06

As the average temperature of the earth increases the impact of these changes are becoming apparent. One of the most dramatic changes to the environment is the melting of arctic permafrost. The disappearance of the permafrost has resulted in release of streams of methane that was trapped in remote areas as gas hydrates in ice. Additionally, the use of fracking has also increased emission of methane. Currently, the methane is either lost to the atmosphere or flared. If these streams of methane could be brought to market, this would be an abundant source of revenue. A cheap conversion of gaseous methane to a more convenient form for transport would be necessary to economical. Conversion of methane is a difficult reaction since the C-H bond is very stable (104 kcal/mole). At the industrial scale, the Fischer-Tropsch reaction can be used to convert gaseous methane to liquid methanol but is this method is impractical for these streams that have low pressures and are located in remote areas. Additionally, the Fischer-Tropsch reaction results in over oxidation of the methane leading to many products that would need to be separated.

Global climate: Methane contribution to greenhouse effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metalli, P.

1992-01-01

The global atmospheric concentration of methane greatly contributes to the severity of the greenhouse effect. It has been estimated that this concentration, due mainly to human activities, is growing at the rate of roughly 1.1% per year. Environmental scientists suggest that a reduction, even as small as 10%, in global methane emissions would be enough to curtail the hypothetical global warning scenarios forecasted for the up-coming century. Through the recovery of methane from municipal and farm wastes, as well as, through the control of methane leaks and dispersions in coal mining and petrochemical processes, substantial progress towards the abatement of greenhouse gas effects could be achieved without having to resort to economically detrimental limitations on the use of fossil fuels

Activity of type i methanotrophs dominates under high methane concentration: Methanotrophic activity in slurry surface crusts as influenced by methane, oxygen, and inorganic nitrogen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Duan, Yun Feng; Reinsch, Sabine; Ambus, Per

2017-01-01

Livestock slurry is a major source of atmospheric methane (CH4), but surface crusts harboring methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) could mediate against CH4 emissions. This study examined conditions for CH4 oxidation by in situ measurements of oxygen (O2) and nitrous oxide (N2O), as a proxy for inorg......Livestock slurry is a major source of atmospheric methane (CH4), but surface crusts harboring methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) could mediate against CH4 emissions. This study examined conditions for CH4 oxidation by in situ measurements of oxygen (O2) and nitrous oxide (N2O), as a proxy...... for inorganic N transformations, in intact crusts using microsensors. This was combined with laboratory incubations of crust material to investigate the effects of O2, CH4, and inorganic N on CH4 oxidation, using 13CH4 to trace C incorporation into lipids of MOB. Oxygen penetration into the crust was 2 to 14 mm...

Numerical simulation of vertical transport and oxidation of methane in Arctic Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Stepanenko, Victor; Iakovlev, Nikolai

2013-04-01

The high abundance of methane in shelf of East Siberian Arctic Seas (ESAS) has been a subject of a number of field studies (e.g. Shakhova et al., 2010). This experimental evidence provoked discussions on probable origins of that methane and possible feedbacks to modern climate change. For instance, the hypothesis of methane hydrates degradation under current ocean warming was tested recently in several modeling studies none of which supported this degradation to be significant feedback for climate change. Regardless the origin of methane the knowledge of its budget in the water column is important to link its bottom flux with emission to the atmosphere (and vice versa). It is frequently assumed that all methane released from a seabed of ESAS shelf reaches the atmosphere. When using ocean circulation models (Biastoch et al., 2011) this simplification is cancelled out but the vertical resolution of 3D models at the shelf (that is several tens meters deep) is not enough to accurately resolve turbulent transport of methane and other gases. Moreover, up the knowledge of authors none of the ocean models includes explicitly bubble transport of gases. These constrains motivate this study. In this study a high-resolution 1D single column ocean model is constructed to explicitly simulate the methane transport, oxidation and emission to the atmosphere. The model accounts for both vertical turbulent transport (using k-ɛ closure) and bubble transport of gases. The ground under the seabed is represented by multilayer heat and moisture transfer model, including methane hydrate evolution. It is forced by time series of atmospheric variables from NCEP reanalysis and horizontal advection terms taken from FEMAO-1 3D ocean model. The baseline simulation is performed for the period 1948-2011. The model is validated using temperature profiles measured at research vessels in ESAS. The annual cycle and multiyear variability of methane profiles in water are studied and compared to

Global height-resolved methane retrievals from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI on MetOp

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Siddans

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the global height-resolved methane (CH4 retrieval scheme for the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI on MetOp, developed at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL. The scheme precisely fits measured spectra in the 7.9 micron region to allow information to be retrieved on two independent layers centred in the upper and lower troposphere. It also uses nitrous oxide (N2O spectral features in the same spectral interval to directly retrieve effective cloud parameters to mitigate errors in retrieved methane due to residual cloud and other geophysical variables. The scheme has been applied to analyse IASI measurements between 2007 and 2015. Results are compared to model fields from the MACC greenhouse gas inversion and independent measurements from satellite (GOSAT, airborne (HIPPO and ground (TCCON sensors. The estimated error on methane mixing ratio in the lower- and upper-tropospheric layers ranges from 20 to 100 and from 30 to 40 ppbv, respectively, and error on the derived column-average ranges from 20 to 40 ppbv. Vertical sensitivity extends through the lower troposphere, though it decreases near to the surface. Systematic differences with the other datasets are typically  < 10 ppbv regionally and  < 5 ppbv globally. In the Southern Hemisphere, a bias of around 20 ppbv is found with respect to MACC, which is not explained by vertical sensitivity or found in comparison of IASI to TCCON. Comparisons to HIPPO and MACC support the assertion that two layers can be independently retrieved and provide confirmation that the estimated random errors on the column- and layer-averaged amounts are realistic. The data have been made publically available via the Centre for Environmental Data Analysis (CEDA data archive (Siddans, 2016.

Understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms of rice-microbial interactions that produce methane

Science.gov (United States)

The second most abundant greenhouse gas, methane, is ~25 times more potent in global warming potential than carbon dioxide, and 7-17% of atmospheric methane comes from flooded rice fields. Methane emissions can be greatly reduced by using alternate wetting and drying irrigation management and/or cul...

High resolution and comprehensive techniques to analyze aerobic methane oxidation in mesocosm experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, E. W.; Kessler, J. D.; Redmond, M. C.; Shiller, A. M.; Arrington, E. C.; Valentine, D. L.; Colombo, F.

2015-12-01

Many studies of microbially mediated aerobic methane oxidation in oceanic environments have examined the many different factors that control the rates of oxidation. However, there is debate on how quickly methane is oxidized once a microbial population is established and what factor(s) are limiting in these types of environments. These factors include the availability of CH4, O2, trace metals, nutrients, and the density of cell population. Limits to these factors can also control the temporal aspects of a methane oxidation event. In order to look at this process in its entirety and with higher temporal resolution, a mesocosm incubation system was developed with a Dissolved Gas Analyzer System (DGAS) coupled with a set of analytical tools to monitor aerobic methane oxidation in real time. With the addition of newer laser spectroscopy techniques (cavity ringdown spectroscopy), stable isotope fractionation caused by microbial processes can also be examined on a real time and automated basis. Cell counting, trace metal, nutrient, and DNA community analyses have also been carried out in conjunction with these mesocosm samples to provide a clear understanding of the biology in methane oxidation dynamics. This poster will detail the techniques involved to provide insights into the chemical and isotopic kinetics controlling aerobic methane oxidation. Proof of concept applications will be presented from seep sites in the Hudson Canyon and the Sleeping Dragon seep field, Mississippi Canyon 118 (MC 118). This system was used to conduct mesocosm experiments to examine methane consumption, O2 consumption, nutrient consumption, and biomass production.

Upward revision of global fossil fuel methane emissions based on isotope database.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwietzke, Stefan; Sherwood, Owen A; Bruhwiler, Lori M P; Miller, John B; Etiope, Giuseppe; Dlugokencky, Edward J; Michel, Sylvia Englund; Arling, Victoria A; Vaughn, Bruce H; White, James W C; Tans, Pieter P

2016-10-06

Methane has the second-largest global radiative forcing impact of anthropogenic greenhouse gases after carbon dioxide, but our understanding of the global atmospheric methane budget is incomplete. The global fossil fuel industry (production and usage of natural gas, oil and coal) is thought to contribute 15 to 22 per cent of methane emissions to the total atmospheric methane budget. However, questions remain regarding methane emission trends as a result of fossil fuel industrial activity and the contribution to total methane emissions of sources from the fossil fuel industry and from natural geological seepage, which are often co-located. Here we re-evaluate the global methane budget and the contribution of the fossil fuel industry to methane emissions based on long-term global methane and methane carbon isotope records. We compile the largest isotopic methane source signature database so far, including fossil fuel, microbial and biomass-burning methane emission sources. We find that total fossil fuel methane emissions (fossil fuel industry plus natural geological seepage) are not increasing over time, but are 60 to 110 per cent greater than current estimates owing to large revisions in isotope source signatures. We show that this is consistent with the observed global latitudinal methane gradient. After accounting for natural geological methane seepage, we find that methane emissions from natural gas, oil and coal production and their usage are 20 to 60 per cent greater than inventories. Our findings imply a greater potential for the fossil fuel industry to mitigate anthropogenic climate forcing, but we also find that methane emissions from natural gas as a fraction of production have declined from approximately 8 per cent to approximately 2 per cent over the past three decades.

Root biomass as a major means of affecting methane emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Human activities are contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Methane, the second most abundant greenhouse gas, is ~25 times more potent in global warming potential than carbon dioxide, and 7-17% of atmospheric methane comes from paddy rice fields. The purpose of the study was to investigate gene...

Quantification of atmospheric lead emissions from 70 years of leaded petrol consumption in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Kristensen, Louise Jane

2015-06-01

Lead is a persistent pollutant and the subject of many environmental studies, yet, in Australia, the extent of atmospheric lead emissions from the use of leaded petrol is unquantified. This paper details the first comprehensive account of leaded petrol sales and its lead concentrations over the 70 years of use in Australia. The resulting atmospheric lead emissions are calculated to provide the most complete understanding of the volume of lead released to the Australian continent from the consumption of leaded petrol. Atmospheric emissions of lead to the entire Australian continent from leaded petrol are calculated to total 240,510 tonnes over seven decades of use, peaking at 7869 tonnes in 1974. Total emissions for individual states and territories range from 1745 to 67,893 tonnes, with New South Wales responsible for the largest emissions. The effect of regulations on allowable concentrations of tetraethyl-lead additives are observed in the reduction of lead emissions in New South Wales and Victoria. The consequences to human health and the environment of leaded petrol consumption in Australia's populous cities are examined against historical air quality data and blood lead levels.

Methane cycling in peat bogs: Environmental relevance of methano-Trophs revealed by microbial lipid chemistry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Winden, J.F.

2011-01-01

Global warming is continuing without delay and this is caused by the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Methane is a strong greenhouse gas, 25 times stronger compared to CO2. The increase in methane concentrations in the atmosphere is largely the result of human influences, but

How does whole ecosystem warming of a peatland affect methane production and consumption?

Science.gov (United States)

Hopple, A.; Brunik, K.; Keller, J.; Pfeifer-Meister, L.; Woerndle, G.; Zalman, C.; Hanson, P.; Bridgham, S. D.

2017-12-01

Peatlands are among Earth's most important terrestrial ecosystems due to their massive soil carbon (C) stores and significant release of methane (CH4) into the atmosphere. Methane has a sustained-flux global warming potential 45-times greater than carbon dioxide (CO2), and the accuracy of Earth system model projections relies on our mechanistic understanding of peatland CH4 cycling in the context of environmental change. The objective of this study was to determine, under in situ conditions, how heating of the peat profile affects ecosystem-level anaerobic C cycling. We assessed the response of CO2 and CH4 production, as well as the anaerobic oxidation of CH4 (AOM), in a boreal peatland following 13 months of deep peat heating (DPH) and 16 months of subsequent whole-ecosystem warming (surface and deep heating; WEW) as part of the Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments (SPRUCE) project in northern Minnesota, USA. The study uses a regression-based experimental design including 5 temperature treatments that warmed the entire 2 m peat profile from 0 to +9 °C above ambient temperature. Soil cores were collected at multiple depths (25-200 cm) from each experimental chamber at the SPRUCE site and anaerobically incubated at in situ temperatures for 1-2 weeks. Methane and CO2 production in surface peat were positively correlated with elevated temperature, but no consistent temperature response was found at depth (75-200 cm) following DPH. However, during WEW, we observed significant increases in both surface and deep peat methanogenesis with increasing temperature. Surface peat had greater CH4 production rates than deeper peat, implying that the increased CH4 emissions observed in the field were largely driven by surface peat warming. The CO2:CH4 ratio was inversely correlated with temperature across all depths following 16 months of WEW, indicating that the entire peat profile is becoming more methanogenic with warming. We also observed AOM throughout

Lightning generation in Titan due to the electrical self-polarization properties of Methane

Science.gov (United States)

Quintero, A.; Falcón, N.

2009-05-01

We describe an electrical charge process in Titan's thunderclouds, due to the self-polarization properties or pyroelectricity of methane, which increases the internal electric field in thunderclouds and facilitates the charge generation and separation processes. Microphysics that generates lightning flashes is associated with the physical and chemical properties of the local atmosphere, so methane could be the principal agent of the electrical activity because of its great concentration in Titan's atmosphere. Besides, Titan's electrical activity should not be very influenced by Saturn's magnetosphere because lightning occurs at very low altitude above Titan's surface, compared with the greater distance of Saturn's magnetosphere and Titan's troposphere. Using an electrostatic treatment, we calculate the internal electric field of Titan's thunderclouds due to methane's pyroelectrical properties, 7.05×10^11 Vm^-1; and using the telluric capacitor approximation for thunderclouds, we calculate the total charge obtained for a typical Titan thundercloud, 2.67×10^9 C. However, it is not right to use an electrostatic treatment because charge times are very fast due to the large methane concentration in Titan's clouds and the life time of thunderclouds is very low (around 2 hours). We consider a time dependent mechanism, employing common Earth atmospheric approaches, because of the similitude in chemical composition of both atmospheres (mainly nitrogen), so the typical charge of a thundercloud in Titan should reach between 20 C to 40 C, like on Earth. We obtain that lightning occurs with a frequency between 2 and 6 KHz. In Titan's atmosphere, methane concentration is higher than on Earth, and atmospheric electrical activity is stronger, so this model could be consistent with the observed phenomenology.

Developing Atmospheric Retrieval Methods for Direct Imaging Spectroscopy of Gas Giants in Reflected Light I: Methane Abundances and Basic Cloud Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Lupu, R. E.; Marley, M. S.; Lewis, N.; Line, M.; Traub, W.; Zahnle, K.

2016-01-01

Reflected light spectroscopy and photometry of cool, directly imaged extrasolar giant planets are expected to be performed in the next decade by space-based telescopes equipped with optical wavelength coronagraphs and integral field spectrographs, such as the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST). We are developing a new atmospheric retrieval methodology to help assess the science return and inform the instrument design for such future missions, and ultimately interpret the resulting observations. Our retrieval technique employs an albedo model coupled with both a Markov chain Monte Carlo Ensemble Sampler (emcee) and a multimodal nested sampling algorithm (MultiNest) to map the posterior distribution. This combination makes the global evidence calculation more robust for any given model, and highlights possible discrepancies in the likelihood maps. Here we apply this methodology to simulated spectra of cool giant planets. As a proof-of-concept, our current atmospheric model contains 1 or 2 cloud layers, methane as a major absorber, and a H2-He background gas. This 6-to-9 parameter model is appropriate for Jupiter-like planets and can be easily expanded in the future. In addition to deriving the marginal likelihood distribution and confidence intervals for the model parameters, we perform model selection to determine the significance of methane and cloud detection as a function of expected signal-to-noise, in the presence of spectral noise correlations. After internal validation, the method is applied to realistic reflected-light spectra of Jupiter, Saturn, and HD 99492 c, a likely observing target. We find that the presence or absence of clouds and methane can be determined with high accuracy, while parameters uncertainties are model-dependent.

Titan's methane clock

Science.gov (United States)

Nixon, C. A.; Jennings, D. E.; Romani, P. N.; Teanby, N. A.; Irwin, P. G. J.; Flasar, F. M.

2010-04-01

Measurements of the 12C/13C and D/H isotopic ratios in Titan's methane show intriguing differences from the values recorded in the giant planets. This implies that either (1) the atmosphere was differently endowed with material at the time of formation, or (2) evolutionary processes are at work in the moon's atmosphere - or some combination of the two. The Huygens Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer Instrument (GCMS) found 12CH4/13CH4 = 82 +/- 1 (Niemann et al. 2005), some 7% lower than the giant planets' value of 88 +/- 7 (Sada et al. 1996), which closely matches the terrestrial inorganic standard of 89. The Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) has previously reported 12CH4/13CH4 of 77 +/-3 based on nadir sounding, which we now revise upwards to 80 +/- 4 based on more accurate limb sounding. The CIRS and GCMS results are therefore in agreement about an overall enrichment in 13CH4 of ~10%. The value of D/H in Titan's CH4 has long been controversial: historical measurements have ranged from about 8-15 x 10-5 (e.g. Coustenis et al. 1989, Coustenis et al. 2003). A recent measurement based on CIRS limb data by Bezard et al. (2007) puts the D/H in CH4 at (13 +/- 1) x 10-5, very much greater than in Jupiter and Saturn, ~2 x 10-5 (Mahaffy et al. 1998, Fletcher et al. 2009). To add complexity, the 12C/13C and D/H vary among molecules in Titan atmosphere, typically showing enhancement in D but depletion in 13C in the daughter species (H2, C2H2, C2H6), relative to the photochemical progenitor, methane. Jennings et al. (2009) have sought to interpret the variance in carbon isotopes as a Kinetic Isotope Effect (KIE), whilst an explanation for the D/H in all molecules remains elusive (Cordier et al. 2008). In this presentation we argue that evolution of isotopic ratios in Titan's methane over time forms a ticking 'clock', somewhat analogous to isotopic ratios in geochronology. Under plausible assumptions about the initial values and subsequent replenishment, various

Gridded National Inventory of U.S. Methane Emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Maasakkers, Joannes D.; Jacob, Daniel J.; Sulprizio, Melissa P.; Turner, Alexander J.; Weitz, Melissa; Wirth, Tom; Hight, Cate; DeFigueiredo, Mark; Desai, Mausami; Schmeltz, Rachel;

The origin of methane and biomolecules from a CO2 cycle on terrestrial planets

Science.gov (United States)

Civiš, Svatopluk; Knížek, Antonín; Ivanek, Ondřej; Kubelík, Petr; Zukalová, Markéta; Kavan, Ladislav; Ferus, Martin

2017-10-01

Understanding the chemical evolution of newly formed terrestrial planets involves uncertainties in atmospheric chemical composition and assessing the plausibility of biomolecule synthesis. In this study, an original scenario for the origin of methane on Mars and terrestrial planets is suggested. Carbon dioxide in Martian and other planetary atmospheres can be abiotically converted into a mixture of methane and carbon monoxide by `methanogenesis' on porous mineral photoactive surfaces under soft ultraviolet irradiation. On young planets exposed to heavy bombardment by interplanetary matter, this process can be followed by biomolecule synthesis through the reprocessing of reactive reducing atmospheres by impact-induced shock waves. The proposed mechanism of methanogenesis may help to answer the question concerning the formation of methane and carbon monoxide by photochemical processes, the formation of biomolecules on early Earth and other terrestrial planets, and the source and seasonal variation of methane concentrations on Mars.

Mars Atmospheric Conversion to Methane and Water: An Engineering Model of the Sabatier Reactor with Characterization of Ru/Al2O3 for Long Duration Use on Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Meier, Anne J.; Shah, Malay; Petersen, Elspeth; Hintze, Paul; Muscatello, Tony

2017-01-01

The Atmospheric Processing Module (APM) is a Mars In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) technology designed to demonstrate conversion of the Martian atmosphere into methane and water. The Martian atmosphere consists of approximately 95 carbon dioxide (CO2) and residual argon and nitrogen. APM utilizes cryocoolers for CO2 acquisition from a simulated Martian atmosphere and pressure. The captured CO2 is sublimated and pressurized as a feedstock into the Sabatier reactor, which converts CO2 and hydrogen to methane and water. The Sabatier reaction occurs over a packed bed reactor filled with Ru/Al2O3 pellets. The long duration use of the APM system and catalyst was investigated for future scaling and failure limits. Failure of the catalyst was detected by gas chromatography and temperature sensors on the system. Following this, characterization and experimentation with the catalyst was carried out with analysis including x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy with elemental dispersive spectroscopy. This paper will discuss results of the catalyst performance, the overall APM Sabatier approach, as well as intrinsic catalyst considerations of the Sabatier reactor performance incorporated into a chemical model.

Methane Seepage on Mars: Where to Look and Why.

Science.gov (United States)

Oehler, Dorothy Z; Etiope, Giuseppe

2017-12-01

Methane on Mars is a topic of special interest because of its potential association with microbial life. The variable detections of methane by the Curiosity rover, orbiters, and terrestrial telescopes, coupled with methane's short lifetime in the martian atmosphere, may imply an active gas source in the planet's subsurface, with migration and surface emission processes similar to those known on Earth as "gas seepage." Here, we review the variety of subsurface processes that could result in methane seepage on Mars. Such methane could originate from abiotic chemical reactions, thermogenic alteration of abiotic or biotic organic matter, and ancient or extant microbial metabolism. These processes can occur over a wide range of temperatures, in both sedimentary and igneous rocks, and together they enhance the possibility that significant amounts of methane could have formed on early Mars. Methane seepage to the surface would occur preferentially along faults and fractures, through focused macro-seeps and/or diffuse microseepage exhalations. Our work highlights the types of features on Mars that could be associated with methane release, including mud-volcano-like mounds in Acidalia or Utopia; proposed ancient springs in Gusev Crater, Arabia Terra, and Valles Marineris; and rims of large impact craters. These could have been locations of past macro-seeps and may still emit methane today. Microseepage could occur through faults along the dichotomy or fractures such as those at Nili Fossae, Cerberus Fossae, the Argyre impact, and those produced in serpentinized rocks. Martian microseepage would be extremely difficult to detect remotely yet could constitute a significant gas source. We emphasize that the most definitive detection of methane seepage from different release candidates would be best provided by measurements performed in the ground or at the ground-atmosphere interface by landers or rovers and that the technology for such detection is currently available. Key

Variability and quasi-decadal changes in the methane budget over the period 2000–2012

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Saunois

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Following the recent Global Carbon Project (GCP synthesis of the decadal methane (CH4 budget over 2000–2012 (Saunois et al., 2016, we analyse here the same dataset with a focus on quasi-decadal and inter-annual variability in CH4 emissions. The GCP dataset integrates results from top-down studies (exploiting atmospheric observations within an atmospheric inverse-modelling framework and bottom-up models (including process-based models for estimating land surface emissions and atmospheric chemistry, inventories of anthropogenic emissions, and data-driven approaches. The annual global methane emissions from top-down studies, which by construction match the observed methane growth rate within their uncertainties, all show an increase in total methane emissions over the period 2000–2012, but this increase is not linear over the 13 years. Despite differences between individual studies, the mean emission anomaly of the top-down ensemble shows no significant trend in total methane emissions over the period 2000–2006, during the plateau of atmospheric methane mole fractions, and also over the period 2008–2012, during the renewed atmospheric methane increase. However, the top-down ensemble mean produces an emission shift between 2006 and 2008, leading to 22 [16–32] Tg CH4 yr−1 higher methane emissions over the period 2008–2012 compared to 2002–2006. This emission increase mostly originated from the tropics, with a smaller contribution from mid-latitudes and no significant change from boreal regions. The regional contributions remain uncertain in top-down studies. Tropical South America and South and East Asia seem to contribute the most to the emission increase in the tropics. However, these two regions have only limited atmospheric measurements and remain therefore poorly constrained. The sectorial partitioning of this emission increase between the periods 2002–2006 and 2008–2012 differs from one atmospheric inversion study to

Measuring Methane from Cars, Ships, Airplanes, Helicopters and Drones Using High-Speed Open-Path Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Burba, George; Anderson, Tyler; Biraud, Sebastien; Caulton, Dana; von Fischer, Joe; Gioli, Beniamino; Hanson, Chad; Ham, Jay; Kohnert, Katrin; Larmanou, Eric; Levy, Peter; Polidori, Andrea; Pikelnaya, Olga; Sachs, Torsten; Serafimovich, Andrei; Zaldei, Alessandro; Zondlo, Mark; Zulueta, Rommel

2017-04-01

Methane plays a critical role in the radiation balance, chemistry of the atmosphere, and air quality. The major anthropogenic sources of methane include oil and gas development sites, natural gas distribution networks, landfill emissions, and agricultural production. The majority of oil and gas and urban methane emission occurs via variable-rate point sources or diffused spots in topographically challenging terrains (e.g., street tunnels, elevated locations at water treatment plants, vents, etc.). Locating and measuring such methane emissions is challenging when using traditional micrometeorological techniques, and requires development of novel approaches. Landfill methane emissions traditionally assessed at monthly or longer time intervals are subject to large uncertainties because of the snapshot nature of the measurements and the barometric pumping phenomenon. The majority of agricultural and natural methane production occurs in areas with little infrastructure or easily available grid power (e.g., rice fields, arctic and boreal wetlands, tropical mangroves, etc.). A lightweight, high-speed, high-resolution, open-path technology was recently developed for eddy covariance measurements of methane flux, with power consumption 30-150 times below other available technologies. It was designed to run on solar panels or a small generator and be placed in the middle of the methane-producing ecosystem without a need for grid power. Lately, this instrumentation has been utilized increasingly more frequently outside of the traditional use on stationary flux towers. These novel approaches include measurements from various moving platforms, such as cars, aircraft, and ships. Projects included mapping of concentrations and vertical profiles, leak detection and quantification, mobile emission detection from natural gas-powered cars, soil methane flux surveys, etc. This presentation will describe the latest state of the key projects utilizing the novel lightweight low-power high

Improved stratospheric atmosphere forecasts in the general circulation model through a methane oxidation parametrization

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, S.; Jun, Z.

2017-12-01

Climatic characteristics of tropical stratospheric methane have been well researched using various satellite data, and numerical simulations have furtherly conducted using chemical climatic models, while the impact of stratospheric methane oxidation on distribution of water vapor is not paid enough attention in general circulation models. Simulated values of water vapour in the tropical upper stratosphere, and throughout much of the extratropical stratosphere, were too low. Something must be done to remedy this deficiency in order to producing realistic stratospheric water vapor using a general circulation model including the whole stratosphere. Introduction of a simple parametrization of the upper-stratospheric moisture source due to methane oxidation and a sink due to photolysis in the mesosphere was conducted. Numerical simulations and analysis of the influence of stratospheric methane on the prediction of tropical stratospheric moisture and temperature fields were carried out. This study presents the advantages of methane oxidation parametrization in producing a realistic distribution of water vapour in the tropical stratosphere and analyzes the impact of methane chemical process on the general circulation model using two storm cases including a heavy rain in South China and a typhoon caused tropical storm.It is obvious that general circulation model with methane oxidation parametrization succeeds in simulating the water vapor and temperature in stratosphere. The simulating rain center value of contrast experiment is increased up to 10% than that of the control experiment. Introduction of methane oxidation parametrization has modified the distribution of water vapour and then producing a broadly realistic distribution of temperature. Objective weather forecast verifications have been performed using simulating results of one month, which demonstrate somewhat positive effects on the model skill. There is a certain extent impact of methane oxidation

Intense methane ebullition from open water area of a shallow peatland lake on the eastern Tibetan Plateau.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Dan; Wu, Yan; Chen, Huai; He, Yixin; Wu, Ning

2016-01-15

Methane fluxes from a shallow peatland lake (3450 m a.s.l., 1.6 km(2) in area, maximum depth peatlands to the lake. The shallowness of the water column could be another important favorable factor for methane-containing bubble formation in the sediment and their transportation to the atmosphere. The methane ebullition must have been enhanced by the low atmospheric pressure (ca. 672 hPa) in the high-altitude environment. For a better understanding on the mechanism of methane emission from alpine lakes, more lakes on the Tibetan Plateau should be studied in the future for their methane ebullition. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrate-based methane separation from coal mine methane gas mixture by bubbling using the scale-up equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai, Jing; Xu, Chun-Gang; Xia, Zhi-Ming; Chen, Zhao-Yang; Li, Xiao-Sen

2017-01-01

Highlights: •Hydrate-based methane separation was achieved in the large scale using SHW-II. •Bubbling method was beneficial to reduce energy consumption. •The optimal conditions were determined. •The morphology and flow characteristic of hydrate formation were filmed. -- Abstract: In this work, the hydrate-based methane (CH 4 ) separation from coal mine methane (CMM) gas mixture was carried out by bubbling with a scale-up equipment (SHW-II). The influences of gas/liquid volume ratios (0.25 and 0.60), gas bubble sizes (diameter: 20, 50 and 100 μm) and gas flow rates (7.50, 16.13 and 21.50 mL/min/L) on gas consumption and CH 4 recovery were systematically investigated at 277.15 K and 1.50 MPa. The hydrate formation morphology was filmed by a camera and the hydrate structure was determined by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). Gas bubbles generated when gas mixture flowed into bulk solution through a bubble plate from the bottom of SHW-II. Initially, the gas hydrates formed at the bubble boundary and grew up as the shell around the bubble with the continuously rising of the gas bubble, and finally accumulated in the interface between the gaseous phase and solution. The experimental results showed that the THF/CH 4 /N 2 hydrate in SHW-II presented structure II (sII). The gas/liquid volume ratio, gas bubble size and gas flow rate had influences on gas consumption and CH 4 recovery. The increase of gas/liquid volume ratio resulted in the decrease of gas consumption and CH 4 recovery, while the increase of gas flow rate caused the decrease of gas consumption. Both the maximum gas consumption and CH 4 recovery were achieved at the gas bubble with diameter of 50 μm. The optimal operating condition for large-scale CH 4 separation via clatharate hydrate was comprehensively defined as the gas/liquid volume ratio of 0.25, the gas bubble diameter of 50 μm and the gas flow rate of 16.13 mL/min/L at 277.15 K and 1.50 MPa.

Evaluation of methane emissions from Taiwanese paddies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, C.-W.; Wu, C.-Y.

2004-01-01

The main greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Methane is the most important because the warming effect of methane is 21 times greater than that of carbon dioxide. Methane emitted from rice paddy fields is a major source of atmospheric methane. In this work, a methane emission model (MEM), which integrates climate change, plant growth and degradation of soil organic matter, was applied to estimate the emission of methane from rice paddy fields in Taiwan. The estimated results indicate that much methane is emitted during the effective tillering and booting stages in the first crop season and during the transplanting stage in the second crop season in a year. Sensitivity analysis reveals that the temperature is the most important parameter that governs the methane emission rate. The order of the strengths of the effects of the other parameters is soil pH, soil water depth (SWD) and soil organic matter content. The masses of methane emitted from rice paddy fields of Taiwan in the first and second crop seasons are 28,507 and 350,231 tons, respectively. The amount of methane emitted during the second crop season is 12.5 times higher than that emitted in the first crop season. With a 12% reduction in planted area during the second crop season, methane emission could be reduced by 21%. In addition, removal of rice straw left from the first crop season and increasing the depth of flooding to 25 cm are also strategies that could help reduce annual emission by up to 18%

Water, Methane Depletion, and High-Altitude Condensates in the Atmosphere of the Warm Super-Neptune WASP-107b

Science.gov (United States)

Kreidberg, Laura; Line, Michael; Thorngren, Daniel; Morley, Caroline; Stevenson, Kevin

2018-01-01

The super-Neptune exoplanet WASP-107b is an exciting target for atmosphere characterization. It has an unusually large atmospheric scale height and a small, bright host star, raising the possibility of precise constraints on its current nature and formation history. In this talk, I will present the first atmospheric study of WASP-107b, a Hubble Space Telescope measurement of its near-infrared transmission spectrum. We determined the planet's composition with two techniques: atmospheric retrieval based on the transmission spectrum and interior structure modeling based on the observed mass and radius. The interior structure models set a 3σ upper limit on the atmospheric metallicity of 30x solar. The transmission spectrum shows strong evidence for water absorption (6.5σ confidence), and we infer a water abundance consistent with expectations for a solar abundance pattern. On the other hand, methane is depleted relative to expectations (at 3σ confidence), suggesting a low carbon-to-oxygen ratio or high internal heat flux. The water features are smaller than predicted for a cloudless atmosphere, crossing less than one scale height. A thick condensate layer at high altitudes (0.1 - 3 mbar) is needed to match the observations; however, we find that it is challenging for physically motivated cloud and haze models to produce opaque condensates at these pressures. Taken together, these findings serve as an illustration of the diversity and complexity of exoplanet atmospheres. The community can look forward to more such results with the high precision and wide spectral coverage afforded by future observing facilities.

Short-term landfill methane emissions dependency on wind.

Science.gov (United States)

Delkash, Madjid; Zhou, Bowen; Han, Byunghyun; Chow, Fotini K; Rella, Chris W; Imhoff, Paul T

2016-09-01

Short-term (2-10h) variations of whole-landfill methane emissions have been observed in recent field studies using the tracer dilution method for emissions measurement. To investigate the cause of these variations, the tracer dilution method is applied using 1-min emissions measurements at Sandtown Landfill (Delaware, USA) for a 2-h measurement period. An atmospheric dispersion model is developed for this field test site, which is the first application of such modeling to evaluate atmospheric effects on gas plume transport from landfills. The model is used to examine three possible causes of observed temporal emissions variability: temporal variability of surface wind speed affecting whole landfill emissions, spatial variability of emissions due to local wind speed variations, and misaligned tracer gas release and methane emissions locations. At this site, atmospheric modeling indicates that variation in tracer dilution method emissions measurements may be caused by whole-landfill emissions variation with wind speed. Field data collected over the time period of the atmospheric model simulations corroborate this result: methane emissions are correlated with wind speed on the landfill surface with R(2)=0.51 for data 2.5m above ground, or R(2)=0.55 using data 85m above ground, with emissions increasing by up to a factor of 2 for an approximately 30% increase in wind speed. Although the atmospheric modeling and field test are conducted at a single landfill, the results suggest that wind-induced emissions may affect tracer dilution method emissions measurements at other landfills. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A laboratory study of anaerobic oxidation of methane in the presence of methane hydrate

Science.gov (United States)

Solem, R.; Bartlett, D.; Kastner, M.; Valentine, D.

2003-12-01

In order to mimic and study the process of anaerobic methane oxidation in methane hydrate regions we developed four high-pressure anaerobic bioreactors, designed to incubate environmental sediment samples, and enrich for populations of microbes associated with anaerobic methane oxidation (AMO). We obtained sediment inocula from a bacterial mat at the southern Hydrate Ridge, Cascadia, having cell counts approaching 1010 cells/cc. Ultimately, our goal is to produce an enriched culture of these microbes for characterization of the biochemical processes and chemical fluxes involved, as well as the unique adaptations required for, AMO. Molecular phylogenetic information along with results from fluorescent in situ hybridization indicate that consortia of Archaea and Bacteria are present which are related to those previously described for marine sediment AMO environments. Using a medium of enriched seawater and sediment in a 3:1 ratio, the system was incubated at 4° C under 43 atm of methane pressure; the temperature and pressure were kept constant. We have followed the reactions for seven months, particularly the vigorous consumption rates of dissolved sulfate and alkalinity production, as well as increases in HS-, and decreases in Ca concentrations. We also monitored the dissolved inorganic C (DIC) δ 13C values. The data were reproduced, and indicated that the process is extremely sensitive to changes in methane pressure. The rates of decrease in sulfate and increase in alkalinity concentrations were complimentary and showed considerable linearity with time. When the pressure in the reactor was decreased below the methane hydrate stability field, following the methane hydrate dissociation, sulfate reduction abruptly decreased. When the pressure was restored all the reactions returned to their previous rates. Much of the methane oxidation activity in the reactor is believed to occur in association with the methane hydrate. Upon the completion of one of the experiments

Recent decreases in fossil-fuel emissions of ethane and methane derived from firn air.

Science.gov (United States)

Aydin, Murat; Verhulst, Kristal R; Saltzman, Eric S; Battle, Mark O; Montzka, Stephen A; Blake, Donald R; Tang, Qi; Prather, Michael J

2011-08-10

Methane and ethane are the most abundant hydrocarbons in the atmosphere and they affect both atmospheric chemistry and climate. Both gases are emitted from fossil fuels and biomass burning, whereas methane (CH(4)) alone has large sources from wetlands, agriculture, landfills and waste water. Here we use measurements in firn (perennial snowpack) air from Greenland and Antarctica to reconstruct the atmospheric variability of ethane (C(2)H(6)) during the twentieth century. Ethane levels rose from early in the century until the 1980s, when the trend reversed, with a period of decline over the next 20 years. We find that this variability was primarily driven by changes in ethane emissions from fossil fuels; these emissions peaked in the 1960s and 1970s at 14-16 teragrams per year (1 Tg = 10(12) g) and dropped to 8-10 Tg  yr(-1) by the turn of the century. The reduction in fossil-fuel sources is probably related to changes in light hydrocarbon emissions associated with petroleum production and use. The ethane-based fossil-fuel emission history is strikingly different from bottom-up estimates of methane emissions from fossil-fuel use, and implies that the fossil-fuel source of methane started to decline in the 1980s and probably caused the late twentieth century slow-down in the growth rate of atmospheric methane.

Importance of the autumn overturn and anoxic conditions in the hypolimnion for the annual methane emissions from a temperate lake.

Science.gov (United States)

Encinas Fernández, Jorge; Peeters, Frank; Hofmann, Hilmar

2014-07-01

Changes in the budget of dissolved methane measured in a small temperate lake over 1 year indicate that anoxic conditions in the hypolimnion and the autumn overturn period represent key factors for the overall annual methane emissions from lakes. During periods of stable stratification, large amounts of methane accumulate in anoxic deep waters. Approximately 46% of the stored methane was emitted during the autumn overturn, contributing ∼80% of the annual diffusive methane emissions to the atmosphere. After the overturn period, the entire water column was oxic, and only 1% of the original quantity of methane remained in the water column. Current estimates of global methane emissions assume that all of the stored methane is released, whereas several studies of individual lakes have suggested that a major fraction of the stored methane is oxidized during overturns. Our results provide evidence that not all of the stored methane is released to the atmosphere during the overturn period. However, the fraction of stored methane emitted to the atmosphere during overturn may be substantially larger and the fraction of stored methane oxidized may be smaller than in the previous studies suggesting high oxidation losses of methane. The development or change in the vertical extent and duration of the anoxic hypolimnion, which can represent the main source of annual methane emissions from small lakes, may be an important aspect to consider for impact assessments of climate warming on the methane emissions from lakes.

Vista-LA: Mapping methane-emitting infrastructure in the Los Angeles megacity

Science.gov (United States)

Carranza, Valerie; Rafiq, Talha; Frausto-Vicencio, Isis; Hopkins, Francesca M.; Verhulst, Kristal R.; Rao, Preeti; Duren, Riley M.; Miller, Charles E.

2018-03-01

Methane (CH4) is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) and a critical target of climate mitigation efforts. However, actionable emission reduction efforts are complicated by large uncertainties in the methane budget on relevant scales. Here, we present Vista, a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based approach to map potential methane emissions sources in the South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB) that encompasses Los Angeles, an area with a dense, complex mixture of methane sources. The goal of this work is to provide a database that, together with atmospheric observations, improves methane emissions estimates in urban areas with complex infrastructure. We aggregated methane source location information into three sectors (energy, agriculture, and waste) following the frameworks used by the State of California GHG Inventory and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines for GHG Reporting. Geospatial modeling was applied to publicly available datasets to precisely geolocate facilities and infrastructure comprising major anthropogenic methane source sectors. The final database, Vista-Los Angeles (Vista-LA), is presented as maps of infrastructure known or expected to emit CH4. Vista-LA contains over 33 000 features concentrated on Vista-LA is used as a planning and analysis tool for atmospheric measurement surveys of methane sources, particularly for airborne remote sensing, and methane hotspot detection using regional observations. This study represents a first step towards developing an accurate, spatially resolved methane flux estimate for point sources in SoCAB, with the potential to address discrepancies between bottom-up and top-down methane emissions accounting in this region. The Vista-LA datasets and associated metadata are available from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distributed Active Archive Center for Biogeochemical Dynamics (ORNL DAAC; https://doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/1525).

Orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric CH4 over the past 800,000 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Loulergue, Laetitia; Schilt, Adrian; Spahni, Renato; Masson-Delmotte, Valérie; Blunier, Thomas; Lemieux, Bénédicte; Barnola, Jean-Marc; Raynaud, Dominique; Stocker, Thomas F; Chappellaz, Jérôme

2008-05-15

Atmospheric methane is an important greenhouse gas and a sensitive indicator of climate change and millennial-scale temperature variability. Its concentrations over the past 650,000 years have varied between approximately 350 and approximately 800 parts per 10(9) by volume (p.p.b.v.) during glacial and interglacial periods, respectively. In comparison, present-day methane levels of approximately 1,770 p.p.b.v. have been reported. Insights into the external forcing factors and internal feedbacks controlling atmospheric methane are essential for predicting the methane budget in a warmer world. Here we present a detailed atmospheric methane record from the EPICA Dome C ice core that extends the history of this greenhouse gas to 800,000 yr before present. The average time resolution of the new data is approximately 380 yr and permits the identification of orbital and millennial-scale features. Spectral analyses indicate that the long-term variability in atmospheric methane levels is dominated by approximately 100,000 yr glacial-interglacial cycles up to approximately 400,000 yr ago with an increasing contribution of the precessional component during the four more recent climatic cycles. We suggest that changes in the strength of tropical methane sources and sinks (wetlands, atmospheric oxidation), possibly influenced by changes in monsoon systems and the position of the intertropical convergence zone, controlled the atmospheric methane budget, with an additional source input during major terminations as the retreat of the northern ice sheet allowed higher methane emissions from extending periglacial wetlands. Millennial-scale changes in methane levels identified in our record as being associated with Antarctic isotope maxima events are indicative of ubiquitous millennial-scale temperature variability during the past eight glacial cycles.

Plasma catalytic reforming of methane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bromberg, L.; Cohn, D.R.; Rabinovich, A. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States). Plasma Science and Fusion Center; Alexeev, N. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation). Baikov Inst. of Metallurgy

1998-08-01

Thermal plasma technology can be efficiently used in the production of hydrogen and hydrogen-rich gases from methane and a variety of fuels. This paper describes progress in plasma reforming experiments and calculations of high temperature conversion of methane using heterogeneous processes. The thermal plasma is a highly energetic state of matter that is characterized by extremely high temperatures (several thousand degrees Celsius) and high degree of dissociation and substantial degree of ionization. The high temperatures accelerate the reactions involved in the reforming process. Hydrogen-rich gas (50% H{sub 2}, 17% CO and 33% N{sub 2}, for partial oxidation/water shifting) can be efficiently made in compact plasma reformers. Experiments have been carried out in a small device (2--3 kW) and without the use of efficient heat regeneration. For partial oxidation/water shifting, it was determined that the specific energy consumption in the plasma reforming processes is 16 MJ/kg H{sub 2} with high conversion efficiencies. Larger plasmatrons, better reactor thermal insulation, efficient heat regeneration and improved plasma catalysis could also play a major role in specific energy consumption reduction and increasing the methane conversion. A system has been demonstrated for hydrogen production with low CO content ({approximately} 1.5%) with power densities of {approximately} 30 kW (H{sub 2} HHV)/liter of reactor, or {approximately} 10 m{sup 3}/hr H{sub 2} per liter of reactor. Power density should further increase with increased power and improved design.

Methane Post-Processing for Oxygen Loop Closure

Science.gov (United States)

Greenwood, Zachary W.; Abney, Morgan B.; Miller, Lee

2016-01-01

State-of-the-art United States Atmospheric Revitalization carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction is based on the Sabatier reaction process, which recovers approximately 50% of the oxygen (O2) from crew metabolic CO2. Oxygen recovery from carbon dioxide is constrained by the limited availability of reactant hydrogen. Post-processing of methane to recover hydrogen with the Umpqua Research Company Plasma Pyrolysis Assembly (PPA) has the potential to further close the Atmospheric Revitalization oxygen loop. The PPA decomposes methane into hydrogen and hydrocarbons, predominantly acetylene, and a small amount of solid carbon. The hydrogen must then be purified before it can be recycled for additional oxygen recovery. Long duration testing and evaluation of a four crew-member sized PPA and a discussion of hydrogen recycling system architectures are presented.

Continuous methane measurements from a late Holocene Greenland ice core

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rhodes, R.H.; Mitchell, L.E.; Brook, E.J.

2013-01-01

Ancient air trapped inside bubbles in ice cores can now be analysed for methane concentration utilising a laser spectrometer coupled to a continuous melter system. We present a new ultra-high resolution record of atmospheric methane variability over the last 1800yr obtained from continuous analysis...... of a shallow ice core from the North Greenland Eemian project (NEEM-2011-S1) during a 4-week laboratory-based measurement campaign. Our record faithfully replicates the form and amplitudes of multi-decadal oscillations previously observed in other ice cores and demonstrates the detailed depth resolution (5.3cm......), rapid acquisition time (30mday) and good long-term reproducibility (2.6%, 2s) of the continuous measurement technique.In addition, we report the detection of high frequency ice core methane signals of non-atmospheric origin. Firstly, measurements of air from the firn-ice transition region...

Ion measurements in premixed methane-oxygen flames

KAUST Repository

Alquaity, Awad; Hourani, Nadim; Chahine, May; Selim, Hatem; Sarathy, Mani; Farooq, Aamir

2014-01-01

Mass Spectrometer (MBMS) is utilized to measure ion concentration profiles in premixed methane-oxygen-argon burner-stabilized flames. Lean, stoichiometric and rich flames at atmospheric pressure are used to study the dependence of ion chemistry

Renewable Methane Generation from Carbon Dioxide and Sunlight.

Science.gov (United States)

Steinlechner, Christoph; Junge, Henrik

2018-01-02

The direct approach: Methane is a potential key player in the world's transition to a more sustainable energy future. The direct conversion of carbon dioxide into methane is highly desirable to lower the concentration of CO 2 in the atmosphere and also to store renewable energy. This Highlight describes the first homogeneous system for the light-driven conversion of CO 2 into CH 4 . © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Capturing energy from ventilation air methane a preliminary design for a new approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cluff, D.L.; Kennedy, G.A.; Bennett, J.G.; Foster, P.J.

2015-01-01

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG), discharged to the atmosphere by coalmining, the natural gas industry and natural biological processes, second only to carbon dioxide; thus, any reduction in atmospheric methane would be globally beneficial. The capture or use of ventilation air methane (VAM) is challenging because it is a high volume low concentration methane source. This results in the routine discharge of methane into the atmosphere. A review of VAM mitigation technologies is provided and the main disadvantages of the existing technologies are discussed. In the proposed VamTurBurner © system, the heat from the combustion chamber is transferred to the preheating zone either by a heat exchanger or by redirecting the combustion products to mix with the ventilation air stream from a coalmine. Gas turbines (GT) are used to produce electricity with the exhaust gases directed to mix with the incoming ventilation airflow. The turbulence introduced by the GT exhaust assists with mixing of the incoming ventilation airflow and the return flow of combustion products from the combustion chamber. The combustion products are a source of heat, which increases the temperature of the incoming ventilation air to a value high enough for the methane to undergo flameless combustion upon encountering the igniters. The high temperature combustion products enter a multi-generation system. The multi-generation system is based on mature engineering technology such as heat exchangers and steam turbines. The residual heat provides additional heat based products such as industrial scale drying, chilling by an absorption chiller or simply hot water. The VamTurBurner © uses the energy from the GT, igniters and VAM to provide clean efficient energy while mitigating the atmospheric emissions of methane. The opportunity to collect carbon credits may improve the economics. Since the VAM is a free energy source, the output of the system is greater than the purchased energy. - Highlights: �

Hydrogen production by methane reforming based on micro-gap discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, N N; Wang, M X; Liu, K Y; Bai, M D

2013-01-01

Based on micro-gap strong ionization discharge, this paper presents a study of hydrogen production by methane reforming at room temperature and atmospheric pressure without catalyst. Influence rules of conversion of methane and production of hydrogen were studied by changing discharge power and feed gas flow rate. Results show that when the discharge power was about 341 W, the discharge gap was 0.47 mm and the flow rate of feed gas was 100 mL min −1 , the conversion of methane and yield of hydrogen reached optimization. The conversion rate of methane and the highest yield of hydrogen were 68.14 % and 51.34 %, respectively.

Methane mitigation timelines to inform energy technology evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Mandira; Edwards, Morgan R.; Trancik, Jessika E.

2015-11-01

Energy technologies emitting differing proportions of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) vary significantly in their relative climate impacts over time, due to the distinct atmospheric lifetimes and radiative efficiencies of the two gases. Standard technology comparisons using the global warming potential (GWP) with a fixed time horizon do not account for the timing of emissions in relation to climate policy goals. Here we develop a portfolio optimization model that incorporates changes in technology impacts based on the temporal proximity of emissions to a radiative forcing (RF) stabilization target. An optimal portfolio, maximizing allowed energy consumption while meeting the RF target, is obtained by year-wise minimization of the marginal RF impact in an intended stabilization year. The optimal portfolio calls for using certain higher-CH4-emitting technologies prior to an optimal switching year, followed by CH4-light technologies as the stabilization year approaches. We apply the model to evaluate transportation technology pairs and find that accounting for dynamic emissions impacts, in place of using the static GWP, can result in CH4 mitigation timelines and technology transitions that allow for significantly greater energy consumption while meeting a climate policy target. The results can inform the forward-looking evaluation of energy technologies by engineers, private investors, and policy makers.

Methane mitigation timelines to inform energy technology evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roy, Mandira; Edwards, Morgan R; Trancik, Jessika E

2015-01-01

Energy technologies emitting differing proportions of methane (CH 4 ) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) vary significantly in their relative climate impacts over time, due to the distinct atmospheric lifetimes and radiative efficiencies of the two gases. Standard technology comparisons using the global warming potential (GWP) with a fixed time horizon do not account for the timing of emissions in relation to climate policy goals. Here we develop a portfolio optimization model that incorporates changes in technology impacts based on the temporal proximity of emissions to a radiative forcing (RF) stabilization target. An optimal portfolio, maximizing allowed energy consumption while meeting the RF target, is obtained by year-wise minimization of the marginal RF impact in an intended stabilization year. The optimal portfolio calls for using certain higher-CH 4 -emitting technologies prior to an optimal switching year, followed by CH 4 -light technologies as the stabilization year approaches. We apply the model to evaluate transportation technology pairs and find that accounting for dynamic emissions impacts, in place of using the static GWP, can result in CH 4 mitigation timelines and technology transitions that allow for significantly greater energy consumption while meeting a climate policy target. The results can inform the forward-looking evaluation of energy technologies by engineers, private investors, and policy makers. (letter)

Methanation: reality or fiction?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gay, Michel

2015-01-01

The author discusses whether it is possible to partly replace oil and natural gas by electricity-based gas, i.e. to produce methane from water by electrolysis, or by using molecule cracking in dedicated nuclear reactors, and carbon dioxide. He outlines the benefits of this perspective in terms of reduction of imports, and of national electricity production optimisation. He also discusses the drawbacks: it will be difficult to produce the huge required quantity of CO 2 ; it will be even more difficult to produce the required quantity of electricity; the e-methane production cost is much higher than that of the currently imported natural gas. In appendix, the author discusses some key figures related to energy in France (consumption, shares, imports, crucial role of nuclear energy for the future)

Sensitivity studies for a space-based methane lidar mission

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Kiemle

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Methane is the third most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere after water vapour and carbon dioxide. A major handicap to quantify the emissions at the Earth's surface in order to better understand biosphere-atmosphere exchange processes and potential climate feedbacks is the lack of accurate and global observations of methane. Space-based integrated path differential absorption (IPDA lidar has potential to fill this gap, and a Methane Remote Lidar Mission (MERLIN on a small satellite in polar orbit was proposed by DLR and CNES in the frame of a German-French climate monitoring initiative. System simulations are used to identify key performance parameters and to find an advantageous instrument configuration, given the environmental, technological, and budget constraints. The sensitivity studies use representative averages of the atmospheric and surface state to estimate the measurement precision, i.e. the random uncertainty due to instrument noise. Key performance parameters for MERLIN are average laser power, telescope size, orbit height, surface reflectance, and detector noise. A modest-size lidar instrument with 0.45 W average laser power and 0.55 m telescope diameter on a 506 km orbit could provide 50-km averaged methane column measurement along the sub-satellite track with a precision of about 1% over vegetation. The use of a methane absorption trough at 1.65 μm improves the near-surface measurement sensitivity and vastly relaxes the wavelength stability requirement that was identified as one of the major technological risks in the pre-phase A studies for A-SCOPE, a space-based IPDA lidar for carbon dioxide at the European Space Agency. Minimal humidity and temperature sensitivity at this wavelength position will enable accurate measurements in tropical wetlands, key regions with largely uncertain methane emissions. In contrast to actual passive remote sensors, measurements in Polar Regions will be possible and biases due to aerosol

Community composition and ultrastructure of a nitrate-dependent anaerobic methane-oxidizing enrichment culture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gambelli, L.; Guerrero-Cruz, Simon; Mesman, R.; Cremers, G.; Jetten, M.S.M.; Camp, H.J.M. op den; Lueke, Claudia; Niftrik, L.A.M.P. van

2017-01-01

Methane is a very potent greenhouse gas and can be oxidized aerobically or anaerobically through microbial-mediated processes, thus decreasing methane emissions to the atmosphere. Using a complementary array of methods including phylogenetic analysis, physiological experiments, and light and

Revised methane emissions factors and spatially distributed annual carbon fluxes for global livestock

Science.gov (United States)

Livestock play an important role in carbon cycling through consumption of biomass and emissions of methane. Recent research suggests that existing bottom-up inventories of livestock methane emissions in the U.S., such as those made using 2006 IPCC Tier 1 livestock emissions factors, are too low. Thi...

Orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric CH4 over the past 800,000 years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loulergue, L.; Lemieux, B.; Barnola, J.M.; Raynaud, D.; Chappellaz, J.; Schilt, A.; Spahni, R.; Blunier, T.; Stocker, T.F.; Schilt, A.; Spahni, R.; Blunier, T.; Stocker, T.F.; Masson-Delmotte, V.

2008-01-01

Atmospheric methane is an important greenhouse gas and a sensitive indicator of climate change and millennial-scale temperature variability. Its concentrations over the past 650,000 years have varied between ∼ 350 and ∼ 800 parts per 10 9 by volume (p.p.b.v.) during glacial and interglacial periods, respectively. In comparison, present-day methane levels of ∼ 1,770 p.p.b.v. have been reported. Insights into the external forcing factors and internal feedbacks controlling atmospheric methane are essential for predicting the methane budget in a warmer world. Here we present a detailed atmospheric methane record from the EPICA Dome C ice core that extends the history of this greenhouse gas to 800,000 yr before present. The average time resolution of the new data is ∼ 380 yr and permits the identification of orbital and millennial-scale features. Spectral analyses indicate that the long-term variability in atmospheric methane levels is dominated by ∼100,000 yr glacial - interglacial cycles up to ∼400,000 yr ago with an increasing contribution of the precessional component during the four more recent climatic cycles. We suggest that changes in the strength of tropical methane sources and sinks (wetlands, atmospheric oxidation), possibly influenced by changes in monsoon systems and the position of the intertropical convergence zone, controlled the atmospheric methane budget, with an additional source input during major terminations as the retreat of the northern ice sheet allowed higher methane emissions from extending peri-glacial wetlands. Millennial-scale changes in methane levels identified in our record as being associated with Antarctic isotope maxima events are indicative of ubiquitous millennial-scale temperature variability during the past eight glacial cycles. (authors)

CH4 fluxes across the seafloor at three district gas hydrate fields: Impacts on ocean and atmosphere chemistry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kastner, M.; Bartlett, D.; MacDonald, I.; Solomon, E.

2005-07-01

The role of methane hydrate in the global methane budget is poorly documented because relatively little is known about the transport of methane through the seafloor into the ocean and atmosphere, and the extent of en route water-column methanotrophy. Pore fluids and water column samples within and adjacent to methane plumes were analyzed for methane, dissolved inorganic C (DIC), sulfide/sulfate, alkalinity, and major element concentrations, and for delta{sup 13}C-CH4 and DIC, at three distinct gas hydrate environments. The three environments are: Bush Hill (BH) in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM), Eel River (ER) offshore Northern California, and North and South Hydrate Ridges (HR), Cascadia, Oregon margin. The methane source at these sites ranges from mostly thermogenic at GOM to primarily biogenic at HR. At these three distinct gas hydrate environments, at all the sites a significant enrichment in {sup 13}C-CH4 along isopycnals away from the methane plumes is observed, indicating extensive aerobic bacterial methane oxidation in the water column, and correspondingly of oxygen consumption. This is principally pronounced in the mostly biogenic methane setting. The delta{sup 13}C-CH4 values range from approx. 12 to -67 , PDB, at the Hydrate Ridges, from approx. 34 to -52 at Eel River, and from approx. 41 to -67 at Bush Hill. The large variation in methane C isotope ranges between the sites suggests that major differences exist in both the rates of aerobic methane oxidation and system openness at the studied locations. Methane fluxes across the sediment/seawater interface were measured, with a flux meter, MOSQUITO (Multiple Orifice Sampler and Quantitative Injection Tracer Observers) only at BH (Solomon et al., 2005). Water column methane concentrations are on average lower at HR than at ER and GOM. Preliminary estimates suggests that aerobic oxidation is nearly complete, consumes most to all of the water column methane at HR, but at the GOM only approx. 80% to a

Supplementary Material for: Measurements of Positively Charged Ions in Premixed Methane-Oxygen Atmospheric Flames

KAUST Repository

Alquaity, Awad B. S.

2017-01-01

Cations and anions are formed as a result of chemi-ionization processes in combustion systems. Electric fields can be applied to reduce emissions and improve combustion efficiency by active control of the combustion process. Detailed flame ion chemistry models are needed to understand and predict the effect of external electric fields on combustion plasmas. In this work, a molecular beam mass spectrometer (MBMS) is utilized to measure ion concentration profiles in premixed methane–oxygen argon burner-stabilized atmospheric flames. Lean and stoichiometric flames are considered to assess the dependence of ion chemistry on flame stoichiometry. Relative ion concentration profiles are compared with numerical simulations using various temperature profiles, and good qualitative agreement was observed for the stoichiometric flame. However, for the lean flame, numerical simulations misrepresent the spatial distribution of selected ions greatly. Three modifications are suggested to enhance the ion mechanism and improve the agreement between experiments and simulations. The first two modifications comprise the addition of anion detachment reactions to increase anion recombination at low temperatures. The third modification involves restoring a detachment reaction to its original irreversible form. To our knowledge, this work presents the first detailed measurements of cations and flame temperature in canonical methane–oxygen-argon atmospheric flat flames. The positive ion profiles reported here may be useful to validate and improve ion chemistry models for methane-oxygen flames.

[The processes of methane formation and oxidation in the soils of the Russian arctic tundra].

Science.gov (United States)

Berestovskaia, Iu Iu; Rusanov, I I; Vasil'eva, L V; Pimenov, N V

2005-01-01

Methane emission from the following types of tundra soils was studied: coarse humic gleyey loamy cryo soil, peaty gley soil, and peaty gleyey midloamy cryo soil of the arctic tundra. All the soils studied were found to be potential sources of atmospheric methane. The highest values of methane emission were recorded in August at a soil temperature of 8-10 degrees C. Flooded parcels were the sources of atmospheric methane throughout the observation period. The rates of methane production and oxidation in tundra soils of various types at 5 and 15 degrees C were studied by the radioisotope method. Methane oxidation was found to occur in bog water, in the green part of peat moss, and in all the soil horizons studied. Methane formation was recorded in the horizons of peat, in clay with plant roots, and in peaty moss dust of the bogey parcels. At both temperatures, the methane oxidation rate exceeded the rate of methane formation in all the horizons of the mossy-lichen tundra and of the bumpy sinkhole complex. Methanogenesis prevailed only in a sedge-peat moss bog at 15 degrees C. Enrichment bacterial cultures oxidizing methane at 5 and 15 degrees C were obtained. Different types of methanotrophic bacteria were shown to be responsible for methane oxidation under these conditions. A representative of type I methylotrophs oxidized methane at 5 degrees C, and Methylocella tundrae, a psychroactive representative of an acidophilic methanotrophic genus Methylocella, at 15 degrees C.

Implications of Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 Methane Emissions to Stabilize Radiative Forcing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Emanuel, William R.; Janetos, Anthony C.

2013-02-01

Increases in the abundance of methane (CH4) in the Earth’s atmosphere are responsible for significant radiative forcing of climate change (Forster et al., 2007; Wuebbles and Hayhoe, 2002). Since 1750, a 2.5 fold increase in atmospheric CH4 contributed 0.5 W/m2 to direct radiative forcing and an additional 0.2 W/m2 indirectly through changes in atmospheric chemistry. Next to water and carbon dioxide (CO2), methane is the most abundant greenhouse gas in the troposphere. Additionally, CH4 is significantly more effective as a greenhouse gas on a per molecule basis than is CO2, and increasing atmospheric CH4 has been second only to CO2 in radiative forcing (Forster et al., 2007). The chemical reactivity of CH4 is important to both tropospheric and stratospheric chemistry. Along with carbon monoxide, methane helps control the amount of the hydroxyl radical (OH) in the troposphere where oxidation of CH4 by OH leads to the formation of formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and ozone.

Pluto's atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elliot, J.L.; Dunham, E.W.; Bosh, A.S.; Slivan, S.M.; Young, L.A.

1989-01-01

Airborne CCD photometer observations of Pluto's June 9, 1988 stellar occultation have yielded an occultation lightcurve, probing two regions on the sunrise limb 2000 km apart, which reveals an upper atmosphere overlying an extinction layer with an abrupt upper boundary. The extinction layer may surround the entire planet. Attention is given to a model atmosphere whose occultation lightcurve closely duplicates observations; fits of the model to the immersion and emersion lightcurves exhibit no significant derived atmosphere-structure differences. Assuming a pure methane atmosphere, surface pressures of the order of 3 microbars are consistent with the occultation data. 43 references

Factors Controlling Methane in Arctic Lakes of Southwest Greenland.

Science.gov (United States)

Northington, Robert M; Saros, Jasmine E

2016-01-01

We surveyed 15 lakes during the growing season of 2014 in Arctic lakes of southwest Greenland to determine which factors influence methane concentrations in these systems. Methane averaged 2.5 μmol L-1 in lakes, but varied a great deal across the landscape with lakes on older landscapes farther from the ice sheet margin having some of the highest values of methane reported in lakes in the northern hemisphere (125 μmol L-1). The most important factors influencing methane in Greenland lakes included ionic composition (SO4, Na, Cl) and chlorophyll a in the water column. DOC concentrations were also related to methane, but the short length of the study likely underestimated the influence and timing of DOC on methane concentrations in the region. Atmospheric methane concentrations are increasing globally, with freshwater ecosystems in northern latitudes continuing to serve as potentially large sources in the future. Much less is known about how freshwater lakes in Greenland fit in the global methane budget compared to other, more well-studied areas of the Arctic, hence our work provides essential data for a more complete view of this rapidly changing region.

Impact of Sundarban mangrove biosphere on the carbon dioxide and methane mixing ratios at the NE Coast of Bay of Bengal, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukhopadhyay, S.K.; Biswas, H.; De, T.K.; Jana, T.K.; Sen, B.K.; Sen, S.

2002-01-01

Diurnal and seasonal variations in carbon dioxide and methane fluxes between Sundarban biosphere and atmosphere were measured using micrometeorological method during 1998-2000. Study of the diurnal variation of micrometeorological conditions in the atmosphere was found to be necessary to determine the duration of neutral stability when flux estimation was reliable. Neutral stability of the atmosphere occurred in the limited micrometeorological conditions, when friction velocity ranged between 0.360 and 0.383ms -1 . The value of drag coefficient (1.62-20.6) x 10 3 obtained at variable wind speed could be deemed specific for this particular surface. 58.2% drop of carbon dioxide and 63.4% drop of methane in the atmosphere at 1m height were observed during day time, between dawn and early evening. Diurnal variations in methane and carbon dioxide mixing ratios showed a positive correlation with Richardson's number (Ri). This environment acted as a net source for carbon dioxide and methane. The mixing ratios of methane were found to vary between 1.42 and 2.07ppmv, and that of carbon dioxide, between 324.3 and 528.7ppmv during the study period. The biosphere-atmosphere flux of carbon dioxide ranged between - 3.29 and 34.4mgm -2 s -1 , and that of methane, between - 4.53 and 8.88μgm -2 s -1 . The overall annual estimate of carbon dioxide and methane fluxes from this ecosystem to atmosphere were estimated to be 694Tgyr -1 and 184Ggyr -1 , respectively. Considerable variations in mixing ratios of carbon dioxide and methane at the NE coast of Bay of Bengal were observed due to the seasonal variations of their fluxes from the biosphere to the atmosphere. The composition was inferred by fitting model prediction to measurements. (Author)

TA [2] Continuous, regional methane emissions estimates in northern Pennsylvania gas fields using atmospheric inversions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lauvaux, Thomas [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)

2017-12-31

Natural Gas (NG) production activities in the northeastern Marcellus shale have significantly increased in the last decade, possibly releasing large amounts of methane (CH₄) into the atmosphere from the operations at the productions sites and during the processing and transmission steps of the natural gas chain. Based on an intensive aircraft survey, leakage rates from the NG production were quantified in May 2015 and found to be in the order of 0.5% of the total production, higher than reported by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) but below the usually observed leakage rates over the shale gases in the US. Thanks to the high production rates on average at each well, leakage rates normalized by production appeared to be low in the northeastern Marcellus shale. This result confirms that natural gas production using unconventional techniques in this region is emitting relatively less CH₄ into the atmosphere than other shale reservoirs. The low emissions rate can be explained in part by the high productivity of wells drilled across the northeastern Marcellus region. We demonstrated here that atmospheric monitoring techniques can provide an independent quantification of NG leakage rates using aircraft measurements. The CH₄ analyzers were successfully calibrated at four sites across the region, measuring continuously the atmospheric CH₄ mixing ratios and isotopic ¹³Ch₄. Our preliminary findings confirm the low leakage rates from tower data collected over September 2015 to November 2016 compared to the aircraft mass-balance estimates in may 2015. However, several episodes revealing large releases of natural gas over several weeks showed that temporal variations in the emissions of CH₄ may increase the actual leakage rate over longer time periods.

Observation of ice sheet formation on methane and ethane gas hydrates using a scanning confocal microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nagao, J.; Shimomura, N.; Ebinuma, T.; Narita, H. [National Inst. of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Toyohira, Sapporo (Japan). Methane Hydrate Research Lab.

2008-07-01

Interest in gas hydrates has increased in recent years due to the discovery of large deposits under the ocean floor and in permafrost regions. Natural gas hydrates, including methane, is expected to become a new energy source and a medium for energy storage and transportation. Gas hydrates consist of an open network of water molecules that are hydrogen-bonded in a similar manner to ice. Gas molecules are interstitially engaged under high pressures and low temperatures. Although the dissociation temperature of methane hydrate under atmospheric pressure is about 193 K, studies have shown that methane hydrate can be stored at atmospheric pressure and 267 K for 2 years. Because of this phenomenon, known as self-preservation, transportation and storage of methane hydrate can occur at temperature conditions milder than those for liquefied methane gas at atmospheric pressure. This study examined the surface changes of methane and ethane hydrates during dissociation using an optical microscope and confocal scanning microscope (CSM). This paper reported on the results when the atmospheric gas pressure was decreased. Ice sheets formed on the surfaces of methane and ethane gas hydrates due to depressurizing dissociation of methane and ethane hydrates when the methane and ethane gas pressures were decreased at designated temperatures. The dissociation of methane gas hydrate below below 237 K resulted in the generation of small ice particles on the hydrate surface. A transparent ice sheet formed on the hydrate surface above 242 K. The thickness of the ice sheet on the methane hydrate surface showed the maximum of ca. 30 {mu}m at 253 K. In the case of ethane hydrates, ice particles and ice sheets formed below 262 and 267 respectively. Since the ice particles and ice sheets were formed by water molecules generated during the gas hydrate dissociation, the mechanism of ice sheet formation depends on the dissociation rate of hydrate, ice particle sintering rate, and water molecule

Peatland vascular plant functional types affect methane dynamics by altering microbial community structure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Robroek, B.J.M.; Jassey, Vincent E.J.; Kox, Martine A.R.; Berendsen, Roeland L.; Mills, Robert T.E.; Cécillon, Lauric; Puissant, Jérémy; Meima-Franke, M.; Bakker, Peter A.H.M.; Bodelier, Paul

2015-01-01

Peatlands are natural sources of atmospheric methane (CH4), an important greenhouse gas. It is established that peatland methane dynamics are controlled by both biotic and abiotic conditions, yet the interactive effect of these drivers is less studied, and consequently poorly understood. Climate

Implementation of methane cycling for deep-time global warming simulations with the DCESS Earth system model (version 1.2)

Science.gov (United States)

Shaffer, Gary; Fernández Villanueva, Esteban; Rondanelli, Roberto; Olaf Pepke Pedersen, Jens; Malskær Olsen, Steffen; Huber, Matthew

2017-11-01

Geological records reveal a number of ancient, large and rapid negative excursions of the carbon-13 isotope. Such excursions can only be explained by massive injections of depleted carbon to the Earth system over a short duration. These injections may have forced strong global warming events, sometimes accompanied by mass extinctions such as the Triassic-Jurassic and end-Permian extinctions 201 and 252 million years ago, respectively. In many cases, evidence points to methane as the dominant form of injected carbon, whether as thermogenic methane formed by magma intrusions through overlying carbon-rich sediment or from warming-induced dissociation of methane hydrate, a solid compound of methane and water found in ocean sediments. As a consequence of the ubiquity and importance of methane in major Earth events, Earth system models for addressing such events should include a comprehensive treatment of methane cycling but such a treatment has often been lacking. Here we implement methane cycling in the Danish Center for Earth System Science (DCESS) model, a simplified but well-tested Earth system model of intermediate complexity. We use a generic methane input function that allows variation in input type, size, timescale and ocean-atmosphere partition. To be able to treat such massive inputs more correctly, we extend the model to deal with ocean suboxic/anoxic conditions and with radiative forcing and methane lifetimes appropriate for high atmospheric methane concentrations. With this new model version, we carried out an extensive set of simulations for methane inputs of various sizes, timescales and ocean-atmosphere partitions to probe model behavior. We find that larger methane inputs over shorter timescales with more methane dissolving in the ocean lead to ever-increasing ocean anoxia with consequences for ocean life and global carbon cycling. Greater methane input directly to the atmosphere leads to more warming and, for example, greater carbon dioxide release

Implementation of methane cycling for deep-time global warming simulations with the DCESS Earth system model (version 1.2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Shaffer

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Geological records reveal a number of ancient, large and rapid negative excursions of the carbon-13 isotope. Such excursions can only be explained by massive injections of depleted carbon to the Earth system over a short duration. These injections may have forced strong global warming events, sometimes accompanied by mass extinctions such as the Triassic-Jurassic and end-Permian extinctions 201 and 252 million years ago, respectively. In many cases, evidence points to methane as the dominant form of injected carbon, whether as thermogenic methane formed by magma intrusions through overlying carbon-rich sediment or from warming-induced dissociation of methane hydrate, a solid compound of methane and water found in ocean sediments. As a consequence of the ubiquity and importance of methane in major Earth events, Earth system models for addressing such events should include a comprehensive treatment of methane cycling but such a treatment has often been lacking. Here we implement methane cycling in the Danish Center for Earth System Science (DCESS model, a simplified but well-tested Earth system model of intermediate complexity. We use a generic methane input function that allows variation in input type, size, timescale and ocean–atmosphere partition. To be able to treat such massive inputs more correctly, we extend the model to deal with ocean suboxic/anoxic conditions and with radiative forcing and methane lifetimes appropriate for high atmospheric methane concentrations. With this new model version, we carried out an extensive set of simulations for methane inputs of various sizes, timescales and ocean–atmosphere partitions to probe model behavior. We find that larger methane inputs over shorter timescales with more methane dissolving in the ocean lead to ever-increasing ocean anoxia with consequences for ocean life and global carbon cycling. Greater methane input directly to the atmosphere leads to more warming and, for example

柴油在甲烷氛围及在甲醇氛围下的着火燃烧特性%Ignition and Combustion Characteristics of Diesel in Premixed Methane and Methanol Atmosphere

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

耿培林; 姚春德; 胡江涛; 张德福; 马明

2017-01-01

为了解不同着火性质燃料之间的相互作用,在定容燃烧弹上结合高压燃油共轨系统,通过高速摄像光学系统,研究了柴油分别在两种不同的单碳高辛烷值燃料氛围下的着火和燃烧行为.结果表明:降低环境温度和增加预混甲烷的浓度均延长柴油着火滞燃期,增大燃烧放热率峰值,且较低的环境温度和高的甲烷浓度有利于减少碳烟的生成;相比于甲烷,甲醇对柴油着火的抑制作用更强,具有较长的滞燃期,为油气混合赢得更多的时间,预混燃烧部分增加,因此柴油在甲醇氛围下的放热率峰值略高于甲烷氛围,同时产生碳烟的扩散燃烧比例降低,生成的碳烟减少.%In order to understand the interaction between fuels of different ignition properties,the ignition and combustion characteristics of diesel injected in either methanol or methane mixture were researched in a constant volume combustion chamber coupled with high pressure common rail system by using high speed camera optical system.The premixed atmospheres are the mixture of methane and the mixture of methanol and air, respectively.Results show that the ignition delay period and the peak combustion release heat rate increase as the ambient temperature decreases or the premixed methane concentration increases.Under low ambient temperature or premixed methane atmosphere,the soot formation decreases.Compared with methanemethanol has a greater inhibitory effect on diesel ignitionso the ignition delay period of the methanol atmosphere is longer than that of the methane atmosphere.There are much time for diesel fuel to mix with airso the peak release heat rate of the methanol atmosphere is bigger and less soot is generated.

Methane transport and emissions from soil as affected by water table and vascular plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhullar, Gurbir S; Iravani, Majid; Edwards, Peter J; Olde Venterink, Harry

2013-09-08

The important greenhouse gas (GHG) methane is produced naturally in anaerobic wetland soils. By affecting the production, oxidation and transport of methane to the atmosphere, plants have a major influence upon the quantities emitted by wetlands. Different species and functional plant groups have been shown to affect these processes differently, but our knowledge about how these effects are influenced by abiotic factors such as water regime and temperature remains limited. Here we present a mesocosm experiment comparing eight plant species for their effects on internal transport and overall emissions of methane under contrasting hydrological conditions. To quantify how much methane was transported internally through plants (the chimney effect), we blocked diffusion from the soil surface with an agar seal. We found that graminoids caused higher methane emissions than forbs, although the emissions from mesocosms with different species were either lower than or comparable to those from control mesocosms with no plant (i.e. bare soil). Species with a relatively greater root volume and a larger biomass exhibited a larger chimney effect, though overall methane emissions were negatively related to plant biomass. Emissions were also reduced by lowering the water table. We conclude that plant species (and functional groups) vary in the degree to which they transport methane to the atmosphere. However, a plant with a high capacity to transport methane does not necessarily emit more methane, as it may also cause more rhizosphere oxidation of methane. A shift in plant species composition from graminoids to forbs and/or from low to high productive species may lead to reduction of methane emissions.

Ground based mobile isotopic methane measurements in the Front Range, Colorado

Science.gov (United States)

Vaughn, B. H.; Rella, C.; Petron, G.; Sherwood, O.; Mielke-Maday, I.; Schwietzke, S.

2014-12-01

Increased development of unconventional oil and gas resources in North America has given rise to attempts to monitor and quantify fugitive emissions of methane from the industry. Emission estimates of methane from oil and gas basins can vary significantly from one study to another as well as from EPA or State estimates. New efforts are aimed at reconciling bottom-up, or inventory-based, emission estimates of methane with top-down estimates based on atmospheric measurements from aircraft, towers, mobile ground-based vehicles, and atmospheric models. Attributing airborne measurements of regional methane fluxes to specific sources is informed by ground-based measurements of methane. Stable isotopic measurements (δ13C) of methane help distinguish between emissions from the O&G industry, Confined Animal Feed Operations (CAFO), and landfills, but analytical challenges typically limit meaningful isotopic measurements to individual point sampling. We are developing a toolbox to use δ13CH4 measurements to assess the partitioning of methane emissions for regions with multiple methane sources. The method was applied to the Denver-Julesberg Basin. Here we present data from continuous isotopic measurements obtained over a wide geographic area by using MegaCore, a 1500 ft. tube that is constantly filled with sample air while driving, then subsequently analyzed at slower rates using cavity ring down spectroscopy (CRDS). Pressure, flow and calibration are tightly controlled allowing precise attribution of methane enhancements to their point of collection. Comparisons with point measurements are needed to confirm regional values and further constrain flux estimates and models. This effort was made in conjunction with several major field campaigns in the Colorado Front Range in July-August 2014, including FRAPPÉ (Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry Experiment), DISCOVER-AQ, and the Air Water Gas NSF Sustainability Research Network at the University of Colorado.

Sediment trapping by dams creates methane emission hot spots

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maeck, A.; Delsontro, T.; McGinnis, Daniel F.

2013-01-01

Inland waters transport and transform substantial amounts of carbon and account for similar to 18% of global methane emissions. Large reservoirs with higher areal methane release rates than natural waters contribute significantly to freshwater emissions. However, there are millions of small dams...... worldwide that receive and trap high loads of organic carbon and can therefore potentially emit significant amounts of methane to the atmosphere. We evaluated the effect of damming on methane emissions in a central European impounded river. Direct comparison of riverine and reservoir reaches, where...... sedimentation in the latter is increased due to trapping by dams, revealed that the reservoir reaches are the major source of methane emissions (similar to 0.23 mmol CH4 m(-2) d(-1) vs similar to 19.7 mmol CH4 m(-2) d(-1), respectively) and that areal emission rates far exceed previous estimates for temperate...

LANDFILL OPERATION FOR CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND MAXIMUM METHANE EMISSION CONTROL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Don Augenstein

1999-01-11

''Conventional'' waste landfills emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas, in quantities such that landfill methane is a major factor in global climate change. Controlled landfilling is a novel approach to manage landfills for rapid completion of total gas generation, maximizing gas capture and minimizing emissions of methane to the atmosphere. With controlled landfilling, methane generation is accelerated and brought to much earlier completion by improving conditions for biological processes (principally moisture levels) in the landfill. Gas recovery efficiency approaches 100% through use of surface membrane cover over porous gas recovery layers operated at slight vacuum. A field demonstration project's results at the Yolo County Central Landfill near Davis, California are, to date, highly encouraging. Two major controlled landfilling benefits would be the reduction of landfill methane emissions to minuscule levels, and the recovery of greater amounts of landfill methane energy in much shorter times than with conventional landfill practice. With the large amount of US landfill methane generated, and greenhouse potency of methane, better landfill methane control can play a substantial role in reduction of US greenhouse gas emissions.

Methane Feedbacks to the Global Climate System in a Warmer World

Science.gov (United States)

Dean, Joshua F.; Middelburg, Jack J.; Röckmann, Thomas; Aerts, Rien; Blauw, Luke G.; Egger, Matthias; Jetten, Mike S. M.; de Jong, Anniek E. E.; Meisel, Ove H.; Rasigraf, Olivia; Slomp, Caroline P.; in't Zandt, Michiel H.; Dolman, A. J.

2018-03-01

Methane (CH4) is produced in many natural systems that are vulnerable to change under a warming climate, yet current CH4 budgets, as well as future shifts in CH4 emissions, have high uncertainties. Climate change has the potential to increase CH4 emissions from critical systems such as wetlands, marine and freshwater systems, permafrost, and methane hydrates, through shifts in temperature, hydrology, vegetation, landscape disturbance, and sea level rise. Increased CH4 emissions from these systems would in turn induce further climate change, resulting in a positive climate feedback. Here we synthesize biological, geochemical, and physically focused CH4 climate feedback literature, bringing together the key findings of these disciplines. We discuss environment-specific feedback processes, including the microbial, physical, and geochemical interlinkages and the timescales on which they operate, and present the current state of knowledge of CH4 climate feedbacks in the immediate and distant future. The important linkages between microbial activity and climate warming are discussed with the aim to better constrain the sensitivity of the CH4 cycle to future climate predictions. We determine that wetlands will form the majority of the CH4 climate feedback up to 2100. Beyond this timescale, CH4 emissions from marine and freshwater systems and permafrost environments could become more important. Significant CH4 emissions to the atmosphere from the dissociation of methane hydrates are not expected in the near future. Our key findings highlight the importance of quantifying whether CH4 consumption can counterbalance CH4 production under future climate scenarios.

Community Composition and Ultrastructure of a Nitrate-Dependent Anaerobic Methane-Oxidizing Enrichment Culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Gambelli, Lavinia; Guerrero-Cruz, Simon; Mesman, Rob J; Cremers, Geert; Jetten, Mike S M; Op den Camp, Huub J M; Kartal, Boran; Lueke, Claudia; van Niftrik, Laura

2018-02-01

Methane is a very potent greenhouse gas and can be oxidized aerobically or anaerobically through microbe-mediated processes, thus decreasing methane emissions in the atmosphere. Using a complementary array of methods, including phylogenetic analysis, physiological experiments, and light and electron microscopy techniques (including electron tomography), we investigated the community composition and ultrastructure of a continuous bioreactor enrichment culture, in which anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) was coupled to nitrate reduction. A membrane bioreactor was seeded with AOM biomass and continuously fed with excess methane. After 150 days, the bioreactor reached a daily consumption of 10 mmol nitrate · liter -1 · day -1 The biomass consisted of aggregates that were dominated by nitrate-dependent anaerobic methane-oxidizing " Candidatus Methanoperedens"-like archaea (40%) and nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane-oxidizing " Candidatus Methylomirabilis"-like bacteria (50%). The " Ca Methanoperedens" spp. were identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunogold localization of the methyl-coenzyme M reductase (Mcr) enzyme, which was located in the cytoplasm. The " Ca Methanoperedens" sp. aggregates consisted of slightly irregular coccoid cells (∼1.5-μm diameter) which produced extruding tubular structures and putative cell-to-cell contacts among each other. " Ca Methylomirabilis" sp. bacteria exhibited the polygonal cell shape typical of this genus. In AOM archaea and bacteria, cytochrome c proteins were localized in the cytoplasm and periplasm, respectively, by cytochrome staining. Our results indicate that AOM bacteria and archaea might work closely together in the process of anaerobic methane oxidation, as the bacteria depend on the archaea for nitrite. Future studies will be aimed at elucidating the function of the cell-to-cell interactions in nitrate-dependent AOM. IMPORTANCE Microorganisms performing nitrate- and nitrite-dependent anaerobic

Orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric CH{sub 4} over the past 800,000 years

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loulergue, L; Lemieux, B; Barnola, J M; Raynaud, D; Chappellaz, J [Univ. Grenoble 1, CNRS, lab. glaciol. geophys. environm., F-38402 Saint Martin d' Heres, (France); Schilt, A; Spahni, R; Blunier, T; Stocker, T F [Climate and Environm. Physics, Physics Inst., Univ. Bern, CH-3012 Bern, (Switzerland); Schilt, A; Spahni, R; Blunier, T; Stocker, T F [Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, Univ. Bern, CH-3012 Bern, (Switzerland); Masson-Delmotte, V [Inst. Pierre Simon Laplace, LSCE, CEA-CNRS-Universite Versailles Saint Quentin, CEA Saclay, F-91191 Gif sur Yvette, (France)

2008-07-01

Atmospheric methane is an important greenhouse gas and a sensitive indicator of climate change and millennial-scale temperature variability. Its concentrations over the past 650,000 years have varied between {approx} 350 and {approx} 800 parts per 10{sup 9} by volume (p.p.b.v.) during glacial and interglacial periods, respectively. In comparison, present-day methane levels of {approx} 1,770 p.p.b.v. have been reported. Insights into the external forcing factors and internal feedbacks controlling atmospheric methane are essential for predicting the methane budget in a warmer world. Here we present a detailed atmospheric methane record from the EPICA Dome C ice core that extends the history of this greenhouse gas to 800,000 yr before present. The average time resolution of the new data is {approx} 380 yr and permits the identification of orbital and millennial-scale features. Spectral analyses indicate that the long-term variability in atmospheric methane levels is dominated by {approx}100,000 yr glacial - interglacial cycles up to {approx}400,000 yr ago with an increasing contribution of the precessional component during the four more recent climatic cycles. We suggest that changes in the strength of tropical methane sources and sinks (wetlands, atmospheric oxidation), possibly influenced by changes in monsoon systems and the position of the intertropical convergence zone, controlled the atmospheric methane budget, with an additional source input during major terminations as the retreat of the northern ice sheet allowed higher methane emissions from extending peri-glacial wetlands. Millennial-scale changes in methane levels identified in our record as being associated with Antarctic isotope maxima events are indicative of ubiquitous millennial-scale temperature variability during the past eight glacial cycles. (authors)

A numerical simulation study on active species production in dense methane-air plasma discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Gui, LI; Muyang, QIAN; Sanqiu, LIU; Huaying, CHEN; Chunsheng, REN; Dezhen, WANG

2018-01-01

Recently, low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasmas have been proposed as a potential type of ‘reaction carrier’ for the conversion of methane into value-added chemicals. In this paper, the multi-physics field coupling software of COMSOL is used to simulate the detailed discharge characteristics of atmospheric pressure methane-air plasma. A two-dimensional axisymmetric fluid model is constructed, in which 77 plasma chemical reactions and 32 different species are taken into account. The spatial density distributions of dominant charged ions and reactive radical species, such as {{{CH}}}4+, {{{CH}}}3+, {{{N}}}2+, {{{O}}}2+, H, O, CH3, and CH2, are presented, which is due to plasma chemical reactions of methane/air dissociation (or ionization) and reforming of small fragment radical species. The physicochemical mechanisms of methane dissociation and radical species recombination are also discussed and analyzed.

LOW-POWER SOLUTION FOR EDDY COVARIANCE MEASUREMENTS OF METHANE FLUX

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, T.; Burba, G. G.; Komissarov, A.; McDermitt, D. K.; Xu, L.; Zona, D.; Oechel, W. C.; Schedlbauer, J. L.; Oberbauer, S. F.; Riensche, B.; Allyn, D.

2009-12-01

Open-path analyzers offer a number of advantages for measuring methane fluxes, including undisturbed in-situ flux measurements, spatial integration using the Eddy Covariance approach, zero frequency response errors due to tube attenuation, confident water and thermal density terms from co-located fast measurements of water and sonic temperature, and possibility of remote and mobile solar-powered or small-generator-powered deployments due to lower power demands in the absence of a pump. The LI-7700 open-path methane analyzer is a VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser)-based instrument. It employs an open Herriott cell and measures levels of methane with RMS noise below 5 ppb at 10 Hz sampling in controlled laboratory conditions. The power consumption of the stand-alone LI-7700 in steady-state is about 8W, so it can be deployed in any methane-generating location of interest on a portable or mobile solar-powered tower, and it does not have to have grid power or permanent industrial generator. Eddy Covariance measurements of methane flux using the LI-7700 open-path methane analyzer were conducted in 2006-2009 in five ecosystems with contrasting weather and moisture conditions: (1) sawgrass wetland in the Florida Everglades; (2) coastal wetlands in an Arctic tundra; and (3) pacific mangroves in Mexico; (4) maize field and (5) ryegrass field in Nebraska. Methane co-spectra behaved in a manner similar to that of the co-spectra of carbon dioxide, water vapor, and air temperature, demonstrating that the LI-7700 adequately measured fluctuations in methane concentration across the whole spectrum of frequencies contributing to vertical atmospheric turbulent transport at the experimental sites. All co-spectra also closely followed the Kaimal model, and demonstrated good agreement with another methane co-spectrum obtained with a TDLS (Tunable Diode Laser Spectroscope; Unisearch Associates, Inc.) over a peatland. Overall, hourly methane fluxes ranged from near-zero at

Renewable methane generation from carbon dioxide and sunlight

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steinlechner, Christoph; Junge, Henrik [Leibniz Institut fuer Katalyse, Universitaet Rostock e.V., Rostock (Germany)

2018-01-02

The direct approach: Methane is a potential key player in the world's transition to a more sustainable energy future. The direct conversion of carbon dioxide into methane is highly desirable to lower the concentration of CO{sub 2} in the atmosphere and also to store renewable energy. This Highlight describes the first homogeneous system for the light-driven conversion of CO{sub 2} into CH{sub 4}. (copyright 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Large methane releases lead to strong aerosol forcing and reduced cloudiness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kurten, T.; Zhou, L.; Makkonen, R.

2011-01-01

forcing that is comparable in magnitude to the long-wave radiative forcing ("enhanced greenhouse effect") of the added methane. Together, the indirect CH4-O-3 and CH4-OHaerosol forcings could more than double the warming effect of large methane increases. Our findings may help explain the anomalously......The release of vast quantities of methane into the atmosphere as a result of clathrate destabilization is a potential mechanism for rapid amplification of global warming. Previous studies have calculated the enhanced warming based mainly on the radiative effect of the methane itself, with smaller...... contributions from the associated carbon dioxide or ozone increases. Here, we study the effect of strongly elevated methane (CH4) levels on oxidant and aerosol particle concentrations using a combination of chemistry-transport and general circulation models. A 10-fold increase in methane concentrations...

Methane emission by adult ostriches (Struthio camelus).

Science.gov (United States)

Frei, Samuel; Dittmann, Marie T; Reutlinger, Christoph; Ortmann, Sylvia; Hatt, Jean-Michel; Kreuzer, Michael; Clauss, Marcus

2015-02-01

Ostriches (Struthio camelus) are herbivorous birds with a digestive physiology that shares several similarities with that of herbivorous mammals. Previous reports, however, claimed a very low methane emission from ostriches, which would be clearly different from mammals. If this could be confirmed, ostrich meat would represent a very attractive alternative to ruminant-and generally mammalian-meat by representing a particularly low-emission agricultural form of production. We individually measured, by chamber respirometry, the amount of oxygen consumed as well as carbon dioxide and methane emitted from six adult ostriches (body mass 108.3±8.3 kg) during a 24-hour period when fed a pelleted lucerne diet. While oxygen consumption was in the range of values previously reported for ostriches, supporting the validity of our experimental setup, methane production was, at 17.5±3.2 L d(-1), much higher than previously reported for this species, and was of the magnitude expected for similar-sized, nonruminant mammalian herbivores. These results suggest that methane emission is similar between ostriches and nonruminant mammalian herbivores and that the environmental burden of these animals is comparable. The findings furthermore indicate that it appears justified to use currently available scaling equations for methane production of nonruminant mammals in paleo-reconstructions of methane production of herbivorous dinosaurs. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Are high rates of sulphate reduction associated with anaerobic oxidation of methane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Devol, A H; Ahmed, S I

1981-01-01

Classical models of sulphur diagenesis in marine sediments are based on the assumption that the rate of sulphate reduction is first order with respect to oxidizable particulate organic carbon (POC). This assumption requires that oxidizable POC, sulphate concentration and the sulphate reduction rate be highest at the top of the sulphate reduction zone and decrease exponentially with increasing sediment depth. However, to explain recent observations of concave upwards methane distributions, the anaerobic consumption of methane has been proposed. Furthermore, it has been proposed that this consumption takes place near the bottom of the sulphate reducing zone where sulphate concentrations are low. Thus, if sulphate reducing bacteria are associated with the anaerobic oxidation of methane, a peak in sulphate reduction rate might be expected in this deep consumption zone. The importance of the process in sedimentary sulphur diagenesis is indicated by calculations estimating that 30 to 75% of the downward sulphate flux at depth may be consumed by methane oxidation within this zone. We present here profiles of sulphate reduction rate in anoxic sediments that show distinct local maxima at the depth where the anaerobic oxidation of methane would be expected. Our measurements were made during July and August 1978 in Saanich Inlet, an anoxic fjord located on the south-east of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The inlet has a shallow sill (approx 70 m) which restricts circulation of the deeper water (maximum depth 225 m) inside the basin to the extent that for about 8 months of the year the bottom waters contain hydrogen sulphide, the inlet is an ideal location for studying sedimentary sulphate reduction because reactions with oxygen and the effects of burrowing organisms can be neglected.

Continuous time-resolved regional methane leak detection with on-line background estimation using a novel combination of dual frequency comb laser spectroscopy and atmospheric inversions

Science.gov (United States)

Alden, C. B.; Coburn, S.; Wright, R.; Baumann, E.; Cossel, K.; Sweeney, C.; Ghosh, S.; Newbury, N.; Prasad, K.; Coddington, I.; Rieker, G. B.

2017-12-01

Advances in natural gas extraction technology have led to increased US production and transport activity, and as a consequence, an increased need for monitoring of methane leaks. Current leak detection methods provide time snapshots, and not continuous, time-varying estimates of emissions. Most approaches also require specific atmospheric conditions, operators, or the use of a tracer gas, requiring site access. Given known intermittency in fugitive methane emissions, continuous monitoring is a critical need for emissions mitigation. We present a novel leak detection method that employs dual frequency comb spectrometry to offer continuous, autonomous, leak detection and quantification over square-km scale areas. The spectrometer is situated in a field of natural gas pads, and a series of retroreflectors around the field direct light back to a detector. The laser light spans 1620-1680 nm with 0.002 nm line spacing, measuring thousands of individual absorption features from multiple species. The result is high-stability trace gas (here CH4, CO2, and H2O) measurements over long (1 km+) open paths through the atmosphere. Measurements are used in an atmospheric inversion to estimate the time variability of emissions at each location of interest. Importantly, the measurement framework and inversion solve explicitly for background concentrations, which vary rapidly in fields of active oil and gas production. We present the results of controlled-leak field tests in rural Colorado. We demonstrate the ability to locate and size a leak located 1 km away from the spectrometer and varying in strength from 1.5 to 7.7 g/min, resulting in mean atmospheric enhancements of 20 ppb. The inversion correctly identifies when the leak turned on and off over a 24-hour period, and determines the mean leak strength to within 10% of the true controlled rate. We further demonstrate the ability of the system to correctly locate and size the start and end of simultaneous 2.7 to 4.8 g/min leaks

Working group report: methane emissions from coal mining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kruger, D.

1993-01-01

The process of coalification inherently generates methane and other byproducts. The amount of methane released during coal mining is a function of coal rank and depth, gas content, and mining methods, as well as other factors such as moisture. In most underground mines, methane is removed by drawing large quantities of air through the mine releasing the air into the atmosphere. In surface mines, exposed coal faces and surfaces, as well as areas of coal rubble created by blasting operations are believed to be the major sources of methane. A portion of the methane emitted from coal mining comes from post-mining activities such as coal processing, transportation, and utilisation. Some methane is also released from coal waste piles and abandoned mines. This paper highlights difficulties with previous methane emission studies namely: absence of data on which to base estimates; use of national data to develop global estimates; failure to include all possible emission sources; overreliance on statistical estimation methodologies. It recommends a 'tiered' approach for the estimation of emissions from underground mines, surface mines and post-mining activities. For each source, two or more approaches (or 'tiers') are presented, with the first tier requiring basic and readily available data and higher tiers requiring additional data. 29 refs., 3 tabs

Methane bursts as a trigger for intermittent lake-forming climates on post-Noachian Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Kite, Edwin S.; Gao, Peter; Goldblatt, Colin; Mischna, Michael A.; Mayer, David P.; Yung, Yuk L.

2017-10-01

Lakes existed on Mars later than 3.6 billion years ago, according to sedimentary evidence for deltaic deposition. The observed fluviolacustrine deposits suggest that individual lake-forming climates persisted for at least several thousand years (assuming dilute flow). But the lake watersheds’ little-weathered soils indicate a largely dry climate history, with intermittent runoff events. Here we show that these observational constraints, although inconsistent with many previously proposed triggers for lake-forming climates, are consistent with a methane burst scenario. In this scenario, chaotic transitions in mean obliquity drive latitudinal shifts in temperature and ice loading that destabilize methane clathrate. Using numerical simulations, we find that outgassed methane can build up to atmospheric levels sufficient for lake-forming climates, if methane clathrate initially occupies more than 4% of the total volume in which it is thermodynamically stable. Such occupancy fractions are consistent with methane production by water-rock reactions due to hydrothermal circulation on early Mars. We further estimate that photochemical destruction of atmospheric methane curtails the duration of individual lake-forming climates to less than a million years, consistent with observations. We conclude that methane bursts represent a potential pathway for intermittent excursions to a warm, wet climate state on early Mars.

Water, High-altitude Condensates, and Possible Methane Depletion in the Atmosphere of the Warm Super-Neptune WASP-107b

Science.gov (United States)

Kreidberg, Laura; Line, Michael R.; Thorngren, Daniel; Morley, Caroline V.; Stevenson, Kevin B.

2018-05-01

The super-Neptune exoplanet WASP-107b is an exciting target for atmosphere characterization. It has an unusually large atmospheric scale height and a small, bright host star, raising the possibility of precise constraints on its current nature and formation history. We report the first atmospheric study of WASP-107b, a Hubble Space Telescope (HST) measurement of its near-infrared transmission spectrum. We determined the planet’s composition with two techniques: atmospheric retrieval based on the transmission spectrum and interior structure modeling based on the observed mass and radius. The interior structure models set a 3σ upper limit on the atmospheric metallicity of 30× solar. The transmission spectrum shows strong evidence for water absorption (6.5σ confidence), and the retrieved water abundance is consistent with expectations for a solar abundance pattern. The inferred carbon-to-oxygen ratio is subsolar at 2.7σ confidence, which we attribute to possible methane depletion in the atmosphere. The spectral features are smaller than predicted for a cloud-free composition, crossing less than one scale height. A thick condensate layer at high altitudes (0.1–3 mbar) is needed to match the observations. We find that physically motivated cloud models with moderate sedimentation efficiency (f sed = 0.3) or hazes with a particle size of 0.3 μm reproduce the observed spectral feature amplitude. Taken together, these findings serve as an illustration of the diversity and complexity of exoplanet atmospheres. The community can look forward to more such results with the high precision and wide spectral coverage afforded by future observing facilities.

Working group report: methane emissions from biomass burning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delmas, R.A.; Ahuja, D.

1993-01-01

Biomass burning is a significant source of atmospheric methane. Like most other sources of methane, it has both natural and anthropogenic causes, although anthropogenic causes now predominate. Most of the estimates of methane emissions from biomass burning in the past have relied on a uniform emission factor for all types of burning. This results in the share of trace gas emissions for different types of burning being the same as the amounts of biomass burned in those types. The Working Group endorsed the extension of an approach followed for Africa by Delmas et al. (1991) to use different emission factors for different types of biomass burning to estimate national emissions of methane. This is really critical as emission factors present important variations. While the focus of discussions of the Working Group was on methane emissions from biomass burning, the Group endorsed the IPCC-OECD methodology of estimating all greenhouse related trace gases from biomass burning. Neither the IPCC-OECD nor the methodology suggested here applies to estimation of trace gas emissions from the processing of biomass to upgraded fuels. They must be estimated separately. The Group also discussed technical options for controlling methane emissions from biomass. 12 refs

Latest on Mobile Methane Measurements with Fast Open-Path Technology: Experiences, Opportunities & Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Burba, George; Anderson, Tyler; Ediger, Kevin; von Fischer, Joseph; Gioli, Beniamino; Ham, Jay; Hupp, Jason; Kohnert, Katrin; Larmanou, Eric; Levy, Peter; Polidori, Andrea; Pikelnaya, Olga; Price, Eric; Sachs, Torsten; Serafimovich, Andrei; Zondlo, Mark; Zulueta, Rommel

2016-04-01

Methane plays a critical role in the radiation balance, chemistry of the atmosphere, and air quality. The major sources of methane include agricultural and natural production, landfill emissions, oil and gas development sites, and natural gas distribution networks in rural and urban environments. The majority of agricultural and natural methane production occurs in areas with little infrastructure or easily available grid power (e.g., rice fields, arctic and boreal wetlands, tropical mangroves, etc.) Past approaches for direct measurements of methane fluxes relied on fast closed-path analyzers, which typically require powerful pumps and grid power. Power and labor demands may be among the key reasons why such methane fluxes were often measured at locations with good infrastructure and grid power, and not necessarily with high methane production. Landfill methane emissions were traditionally assessed via point-in-time measurements taken at monthly or longer time intervals using techniques such as the trace plume method, the mass balance method, etc. These are subject to large uncertainties because of the snapshot nature of the measurements, while the changes in emission rates are continuous due to ongoing landfill development, changes in management practices, and the barometric pumping phenomenon. Installing a continuously operating flux station in the middle of an active landfill requires a low-power approach with no cables stretching across the landfill. The majority of oil and gas and urban methane emission happens via variable-rate point sources or diffused spots in topographically challenging terrains, such as street tunnels, elevated locations at water treatment plants, vents, etc. Locating and measuring methane emissions from such sources is challenging when using traditional micrometeorological techniques, and requires development of novel approaches. In 2010, a new lightweight high-speed high-resolution open-path technology was developed with the goal of

Trees as methane sources: A case study of West Siberian South taiga

Science.gov (United States)

Churkina, A. I.; Mochenov, S. Yu; Sabrekov, S. F.; Glagolev, M. V.; Il’yasov, D. V.; Terentieva, I. E.; Maksyutov, S. S.

2018-03-01

Within this study, we were measuring methane emission from the tree trunks, leaves and branches in the seasonally flooded forest and in the forested bogs (pine-shrub-sphagnum ecosystems or “ryams”) in south taiga zone of Western Siberia. Our results suggest that the tree trunks may act as a methane conductor from the soil to the atmosphere bypassing the methanotrophically active zones of soil. The tree methane flux depends on a trunk diameter and an ecosystem type. The average methane emission from tree trunks was 0.0061±0.0003 mg CH4·m-2·h-1 per unit of ground area. The methane emission from branches and leaves was zero.

Assessing the Efficacy of the Aerobic Methanotrophic Biofilter in Methane Hydrate Environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Valentine, David

2012-09-30

process as a biofilter by studying the distribution of methane oxidation and disposition of methanotrophic populations in the Pacific Ocean. We investigated several environments including the basins offshore California, the continental margin off Central America, and the shallow waters around gas seeps. We succeeded in identifying the distributions of activity in these environments, identified potential physical and chemical controls on methanotrophic activity, we further revealed details about the methanotrophic communities active in these settings, and we developed new approaches to study methanotrophic communities. These findings should improve our capacity to predict the methanotrophic response in ocean waters, and further our ability to generate specific hypotheses as to the ecology and efficacy of pelagic methanotrophic communites. The discharge of methane and other hydrocarbons to Gulf of Mexico that followed the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon provided a unique opportunity to study the methanotorphic biofilter in the deep ocean environment. We set out to understand the consumption of methane and the bloom of methanotrophs resulting from this event, as a window into the regional scale release of gas hydrate under rapid warming scenarios. We found that other hydrocarbon gases, notably propane and ethane, were preferred for consumption over methane, but that methane consumption accelerated rapidly and drove the depletion of methane within a matter of months after initial release. These results revealed the identity of the responsible community, and point to the importance of the seed population in determining the rate at which a methanotrophic community is able to respond to an input of methane. Collectively, these results provide a significant advance in our understanding of the marine methanotrohic biofilter, and further provide direction and context for future investigations of this important phenomenon. This project has resulted in fourteen publications to date

Methane clumped isotopes: Progress and potential for a new isotopic tracer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Douglas, Peter M. J.; Stolper, Daniel A.; Eiler, John M.; Sessions, Alex L.; Lawson, Michael; Shuai, Yanhua; Bishop, Andrew; Podlaha, Olaf G.; Ferreira, Alexandre A.; Santos Neto, Eugenio V.; Niemann, Martin; Steen, Arne S.; Huang, Ling; Chimiak, Laura; Valentine, David L.; Fiebig, Jens; Luhmann, Andrew J.; Seyfried, William E.; Etiope, Giuseppe; Schoell, Martin; Inskeep, William P.; Moran, James J.; Kitchen, Nami

2017-11-01

The isotopic composition of methane is of longstanding geochemical interest, with important implications for understanding hydrocarbon systems, atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, the global carbon cycle, and life in extreme environments. Recent analytical developments focusing on multiply substituted isotopologues (‘clumped isotopes’) are opening a potentially valuable new window into methane geochemistry. When methane forms in internal isotopic equilibrium, clumped isotopes can provide a direct record of formation temperature, making this property particularly valuable for identifying different methane origins. However, it has also become clear that in certain settings methane clumped isotope measurements record kinetic rather than equilibrium isotope effects. Here we present a substantially expanded dataset of methane clumped isotope analyses, and provide a synthesis of the current interpretive framework for this parameter. We review different processes affecting methane clumped isotope compositions, describe the relationships between conventional isotope and clumped isotope data, and summarize the types of information that this measurement can provide in different Earth and planetary environments.

Methane Ebullition in Temperate Hydropower Reservoirs and Implications for US Policy on Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Benjamin L; Arntzen, Evan V; Goldman, Amy E; Richmond, Marshall C

2017-10-01

The United States is home to 2198 dams actively used for hydropower production. With the December 2015 consensus adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Paris Agreement, it is important to accurately quantify anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Methane ebullition, or methane bubbles originating from river or lake sediments, has been shown to account for nearly all methane emissions from tropical hydropower reservoirs to the atmosphere. However, distinct ebullitive methane fluxes have been studied in comparatively few temperate hydropower reservoirs globally. This study measures ebullitive and diffusive methane fluxes from two eastern Washington reservoirs, and synthesizes existing studies of methane ebullition in temperate, boreal, and tropical hydropower reservoirs. Ebullition comprises nearly all methane emissions (>97%) from this study's two eastern Washington hydropower reservoirs to the atmosphere. Summer methane ebullition from these reservoirs was higher than ebullition in six southeastern U.S. hydropower reservoirs, however it was similar to temperate reservoirs in other parts of the world. Our literature synthesis suggests that methane ebullition from temperate hydropower reservoirs can be seasonally elevated compared to tropical climates, however annual emissions are likely to be higher within tropical climates, emphasizing the possible range of methane ebullition fluxes and the need for the further study of temperate reservoirs. Possible future changes to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and UNFCCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories highlights the need for accurate assessment of reservoir emissions.

Methane Ebullition in Temperate Hydropower Reservoirs and Implications for US Policy on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Benjamin L.; Arntzen, Evan V.; Goldman, Amy E.; Richmond, Marshall C.

2017-10-01

The United States is home to 2198 dams actively used for hydropower production. With the December 2015 consensus adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Paris Agreement, it is important to accurately quantify anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Methane ebullition, or methane bubbles originating from river or lake sediments, has been shown to account for nearly all methane emissions from tropical hydropower reservoirs to the atmosphere. However, distinct ebullitive methane fluxes have been studied in comparatively few temperate hydropower reservoirs globally. This study measures ebullitive and diffusive methane fluxes from two eastern Washington reservoirs, and synthesizes existing studies of methane ebullition in temperate, boreal, and tropical hydropower reservoirs. Ebullition comprises nearly all methane emissions (>97%) from this study's two eastern Washington hydropower reservoirs to the atmosphere. Summer methane ebullition from these reservoirs was higher than ebullition in six southeastern U.S. hydropower reservoirs, however it was similar to temperate reservoirs in other parts of the world. Our literature synthesis suggests that methane ebullition from temperate hydropower reservoirs can be seasonally elevated compared to tropical climates, however annual emissions are likely to be higher within tropical climates, emphasizing the possible range of methane ebullition fluxes and the need for the further study of temperate reservoirs. Possible future changes to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and UNFCCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories highlights the need for accurate assessment of reservoir emissions.

Constraining the 2012-2014 growing season Alaskan methane budget using CARVE aircraft measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Hartery, S.; Chang, R. Y. W.; Commane, R.; Lindaas, J.; Miller, S. M.; Wofsy, S. C.; Karion, A.; Sweeney, C.; Miller, C. E.; Dinardo, S. J.; Steiner, N.; McDonald, K. C.; Watts, J. D.; Zona, D.; Oechel, W. C.; Kimball, J. S.; Henderson, J.; Mountain, M. E.

2015-12-01

Soil in northen latitudes contains rich carbon stores which have been historically preserved via permafrost within the soil bed; however, recent surface warming in these regions is allowing deeper soil layers to thaw, influencing the net carbon exchange from these areas. Due to the extreme nature of its climate, these eco-regions remain poorly understood by most global models. In this study we analyze methane fluxes from Alaska using in situ aircraft observations from the 2012-2014 Carbon in Arctic Reservoir Vulnerability Experiment (CARVE). These observations are coupled with an atmospheric particle transport model which quantitatively links surface emissions to atmospheric observations to make regional methane emission estimates. The results of this study are two-fold. First, the inter-annual variability of the methane emissions was found to be <1 Tg over the area of interest and is largely influenced by the length of time the deep soil remains unfrozen. Second, the resulting methane flux estimates and mean soil parameters were used to develop an empirical emissions model to help spatially and temporally constrain the methane exchange at the Alaskan soil surface. The empirical emissions model will provide a basis for exploring the sensitivity of methane emissions to subsurface soil temperature, soil moisture, organic carbon content, and other parameters commonly used in process-based models.

Termites facilitate methane oxidation and shape the methanotrophic community.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Adrian; Erens, Hans; Mujinya, Basile Bazirake; Boeckx, Pascal; Baert, Geert; Schneider, Bellinda; Frenzel, Peter; Boon, Nico; Van Ranst, Eric

2013-12-01

Termite-derived methane contributes 3 to 4% to the total methane budget globally. Termites are not known to harbor methane-oxidizing microorganisms (methanotrophs). However, a considerable fraction of the methane produced can be consumed by methanotrophs that inhabit the mound material, yet the methanotroph ecology in these environments is virtually unknown. The potential for methane oxidation was determined using slurry incubations under conditions with high (12%) and in situ (∼0.004%) methane concentrations through a vertical profile of a termite (Macrotermes falciger) mound and a reference soil. Interestingly, the mound material showed higher methanotrophic activity. The methanotroph community structure was determined by means of a pmoA-based diagnostic microarray. Although the methanotrophs in the mound were derived from populations in the reference soil, it appears that termite activity selected for a distinct community. Applying an indicator species analysis revealed that putative atmospheric methane oxidizers (high-indicator-value probes specific for the JR3 cluster) were indicative of the active nest area, whereas methanotrophs belonging to both type I and type II were indicative of the reference soil. We conclude that termites modify their environment, resulting in higher methane oxidation and selecting and/or enriching for a distinct methanotroph population.

Variations in the methane budget over the last two millennia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sapart, C.J.

2012-01-01

Methane (CH4) is a strong greenhouse gas and even though its atmospheric abundance is lower than carbon dioxide (CO2), CH4 has a global warming potential twenty-five times larger than CO2 and its atmospheric abundance has drastically increased since 1800. Understanding the evolution of the CH4

Wide area methane emissions mapping with airborne IPDA lidar

Science.gov (United States)

Bartholomew, Jarett; Lyman, Philip; Weimer, Carl; Tandy, William

2017-08-01

Methane emissions from natural gas production, storage, and transportation are potential sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Methane leaks also constitute revenue loss potential from operations. Since 2013, Ball Aerospace has been developing advanced airborne sensors using integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) LIDAR instrumentation to identify methane, propane, and longer-chain alkanes in the lowest region of the atmosphere. Additional funding has come from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration (PHMSA) to upgrade instrumentation to a broader swath coverage of up to 400 meters while maintaining high spatial sampling resolution and geolocation accuracy. Wide area coverage allows efficient mapping of emissions from gathering and distribution networks, processing facilities, landfills, natural seeps, and other distributed methane sources. This paper summarizes the benefits of advanced instrumentation for aerial methane emission mapping, describes the operating characteristics and design of this upgraded IPDA instrumentation, and reviews technical challenges encountered during development and deployment.

Methane measurement by the Pioneer Venus large probe neutral mass spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Donahue, T. M.; Hodges, R. R., Jr.

1992-12-01

The Pioneer Venus Large Probe Mass Spectrometer detected a large quantity of methane as it descended below 20 km in the atmosphere of Venus. Terrestrial methane and Xe-136, both originating in the same container and flowing through the same plumbing, were deliberately released inside the mass spectrometer for instrumental reasons. However, the Xe-136 did not exhibit behavior similar to methane during Venus entry, nor did CH4 in laboratory simulations. The CH4 was deuterium poor compared to Venus water and hydrogen. While the inlet to the mass spectrometer was clogged with sulfuric acid droplets, significant deuteration of CH4 and its H2 progeny was observed. Since the only source of deuterium identifiable was water from sulfuric acid, we have concluded that we should correct the HDO/H2O ratio in Venus water from 3.2 x 10-2 to (5 plus or minus 0.7) x 10-2. When the probe was in the lower atmosphere, transfer of deuterium from Venus HDO and HD to CH4 can account quantitatively for the deficiencies recorded in HDO and HD below 10 km, and consequently, the mysterious gradients in water vapor and hydrogen mixing ratios we have reported. The revision in the D/H ratio reduces the mixing ratio of water vapor (and H2) reported previously by a factor of 3.2/5. We are not yet able to say whether the methane detected was atmospheric or an instrumental artifact. If it was atmospheric, its release must have been episodic and highly localized. Otherwise, the large D/H ratio in Venus water and hydrogen could not be maintained.

Manufacture of Methane Hydrate using Carbon Nano Tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sung Seek

2010-02-01

Methane hydrate is formed by physical binding between water molecule and gas such as methane, ethane, propane, or carbon dioxide, etc., which is captured in the cavities of water molecule under the specific temperature and pressure. More than 99% of naturally produced methane hydrate consists of methane, and is widely dispersed in the continental slope and continental Shelf of the Pacific and the Atlantic, the Antarctica etc. The reserve of fossil fuel is 500 billion carbon ton and the reserve of methane is 360 million carbon ton. The reserve of gas hydrate is more than 1 trillion carbon ton, which is twice the fossil fuel. Therefore, natural gas hydrate as a kind of gas hydrate is expected to replace fossil fuel as new energy source of 21st century. Also 1 m 3 hydrate of pure methane can be decomposed to the maximum of 216 m 3 methane at standard condition. If these characteristics of hydrate are reversely utilized, natural gas is fixed into water in the form of hydrate solid. Therefore, the hydrate is considered to be a great way to transport and store natural gas in large quantity. Especially the transportation cost is known to be 18∼25% less than the liquefied transportation. However, when natural gas hydrate is artificially formed, its reaction time may be too long and the gas consumption in water becomes relatively low, because the reaction rate between water and gas is low. Therefore, for the practical purpose in the application, the present investigation focuses on the rapid production of hydrates and increases gas consumption by adding MWCNT and NaCl into pure water. The results show that the equilibrium pressure in seawater is more higher than that in pure water, and methane hydrate could be formed rapidly during pressurization if the subcooling is maintained at 9K or above in seawater and 8K or above in pure water, respectively. Also, amount of consumed gas volume in pure water is more higher that in seawater at the same experimental conditions

Performance Simulations for a Spaceborne Methane Lidar Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Kiemle, C.; Kawa, Stephan Randolph; Quatrevalet, Mathieu; Browell, Edward V.

2014-01-01

Future spaceborne lidar measurements of key anthropogenic greenhouse gases are expected to close current observational gaps particularly over remote, polar, and aerosol-contaminated regions, where actual in situ and passive remote sensing observation techniques have difficulties. For methane, a "Methane Remote Lidar Mission" was proposed by Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt and Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales in the frame of a German-French climate monitoring initiative. Simulations assess the performance of this mission with the help of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations of the earth's surface albedo and atmospheric optical depth. These are key environmental parameters for integrated path differential absorption lidar which uses the surface backscatter to measure the total atmospheric methane column. Results showthat a lidar with an average optical power of 0.45W at 1.6 µm wavelength and a telescope diameter of 0.55 m, installed on a low Earth orbit platform(506 km), will measure methane columns at precisions of 1.2%, 1.7%, and 2.1% over land, water, and snow or ice surfaces, respectively, for monthly aggregated measurement samples within areas of 50 × 50 km2. Globally, the mean precision for the simulated year 2007 is 1.6%, with a standard deviation of 0.7%. At high latitudes, a lower reflectance due to snow and ice is compensated by denser measurements, owing to the orbital pattern. Over key methane source regions such as densely populated areas, boreal and tropical wetlands, or permafrost, our simulations show that the measurement precision will be between 1 and 2%.

The case for refining bottom-up methane emission inventories using top-down measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Bryce F. J.; Iverach, Charlotte P.; Ginty, Elisa; Bashir, Safdar; Lowry, Dave; Fisher, Rebecca E.; France, James L.; Nisbet, Euan G.

2017-04-01

Bottom-up global methane emission estimates are important for guiding policy development and mitigation strategies. Such inventories enable rapid and consistent proportioning of emissions by industrial sectors and land use at various scales from city to country to global. There has been limited use of top-down measurements to guide refining emission inventories. Here we compare the EDGAR gridmap data version 4.2 with over 5000 km of daytime ground level mobile atmospheric methane surveys in eastern Australia. The landscapes and industries surveyed include: urban environments, dryland farming, intensive livestock farming (both beef and lamb), irrigation agriculture, open cut and underground coal mining, and coal seam gas production. Daytime mobile methane surveys over a 2-year period show that at the landscape scale there is a high level of repeatability for the mole fraction of methane measured in the ground level atmosphere. Such consistency in the mole fraction of methane indicates that these data can be used as a proxy for flux. A scatter plot of the EDGAR emission gridmap Log[ton substance / 0.1 degree x 0.1 degree / year] versus the median mole fraction of methane / 0.1 degree x 0.1 degree in the ground level atmosphere highlights that the extent of elevated methane emissions associated with coal mining in the Hunter coalfields, which covers an area of 56 km by 24 km, has been under-represented in the EDGAR input data. Our results also show that methane emissions from country towns (population poor information on the extent of urban gas leaks. Given the uncertainties associated with the base land use and industry data for each country, we generalise the Australian observations to the global inventory with caution. The extensive comparison of top-down measurements versus the EDGAR version 4.2 methane gridmaps highlights the need for adjustments to the base resource data and/or the emission factors applied for coal mining, especially emissions from underground

Information content analysis: the potential for methane isotopologue retrieval from GOSAT-2

Science.gov (United States)

Malina, Edward; Yoshida, Yukio; Matsunaga, Tsuneo; Muller, Jan-Peter

2018-02-01

Atmospheric methane is comprised of multiple isotopic molecules, with the most abundant being 12CH4 and 13CH4, making up 98 and 1.1 % of atmospheric methane respectively. It has been shown that is it possible to distinguish between sources of methane (biogenic methane, e.g. marshland, or abiogenic methane, e.g. fracking) via a ratio of these main methane isotopologues, otherwise known as the δ13C value. δ13C values typically range between -10 and -80 ‰, with abiogenic sources closer to zero and biogenic sources showing more negative values. Initially, we suggest that a δ13C difference of 10 ‰ is sufficient, in order to differentiate between methane source types, based on this we derive that a precision of 0.2 ppbv on 13CH4 retrievals may achieve the target δ13C variance. Using an application of the well-established information content analysis (ICA) technique for assumed clear-sky conditions, this paper shows that using a combination of the shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands on the planned Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT-2) mission, 13CH4 can be measured with sufficient information content to a precision of between 0.7 and 1.2 ppbv from a single sounding (assuming a total column average value of 19.14 ppbv), which can then be reduced to the target precision through spatial and temporal averaging techniques. We therefore suggest that GOSAT-2 can be used to differentiate between methane source types. We find that large unconstrained covariance matrices are required in order to achieve sufficient information content, while the solar zenith angle has limited impact on the information content.

Quantification of strong emissions of methane in the Arctic using spectral measurements from TANSO-FTS and IASI

Science.gov (United States)

Bourakkadi, Zakia; Payan, Sébastien; Bureau, Jérôme

2015-04-01

Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas after the carbon dioxide but it is 25 times more effective in contributing to the radiative forcing than the carbon dioxide(1). Since the pre-industrial times global methane concentration have more than doubled in the atmosphere. This increase is generally caused by anthropogenic activities like the massif use and extraction of fossil fuel, rice paddy agriculture, emissions from landfills... In recent years, several studies show that climate warming and thawing of permafrost act on the mobilization of old stored carbon in Arctic causing a sustained release of methane to the atmosphere(2),(3),(4). The methane emissions from thawing permafrost and methane hydrates in the northern circumpolar region will become potentially important in the end of the 21st centry because they could increase dramatically due to the rapid climate warming of the Artic and the large carbon pools stored there. The objective of this study is to evaluate and quantify methane strong emissions in this region of the globe using spectral measurements from the Thermal And Near Infrared Sensor for carbon Observations-Fourier Transform Spectrometer (TANSO-FTS) and the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI). We use also the LMDZ-PYVAR model to simulate methane fluxes and to estimate how they could be observed by Infrared Sounders from space. To select spectra with high values of methane we developed a statistical approach based on the singular value decomposition. Using this approach we can identify spectra over the important emission sources of methane and we can by this way reduce the number of spectra to retrieve by an line-by-line radiative transfer model in order to focus on those which contain high amount of methane. In order to estimate the capacity of TANSO-FTS and IASI to detect peaks of methane emission with short duration at quasi-real time, we used data from MACC (Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate) simulations

Adsorption of methane and CO2 onto olivine surfaces in Martian dust conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Escamilla-Roa, Elizabeth; Martin-Torres, Javier; Sainz-Díaz, C. Ignacio

2018-04-01

Methane has been detected on all planets of our Solar System, and most of the larger moons, as well as in dwarf-planets like Pluto and Eric. The presence of this molecule in rocky planets is very interesting because its presence in the Earth's atmosphere is mainly related to biotic processes. Space instrumentation in orbiters around Mars has detected olivine on the Martian soil and dust. On the other hand the measurements of methane from the Curiosity rover report detection of background levels of atmospheric methane with abundance that is lower than model estimates of ultraviolet degradation of accreted interplanetary dust particles or carbonaceous chondrite material. Additionally, elevated levels of methane about this background have been observed implying that Mars is episodically producing methane from an additional unknown source, making the reasons of these temporal fluctuations of methane a hot topic in planetary research. The goal of this study is to investigate at atomic level the interactions during the adsorption processes of methane and other Mars atmospheric species (CO2, H2O) on forsterite surfaces, through electronic structure calculations based on the Density Functional Theory (DFT). We propose two models to simulate the interaction of adsorbates with the surface of dust mineral, such as binary mixtures (5CH4+5H2O/5CH4+5CO2) and as a semi-clathrate adsorption. We have obtained interesting results of the adsorption process in the mixture 5CH4+5CO2. Associative and dissociative adsorptions were observed for water and CO2 molecules. The methane molecules were only trapped and held by water or CO2 molecules. In the dipolar surface, the adsorption of CO2 molecules produced new species: one CO from a CO2 dissociation, and, two CO2 molecules chemisorbed to mineral surface forming in one case a carbonate group. Our results suggest that CO2 has a strong interaction with the mineral surface when methane is present. These results could be confirmed after the

Impact Metamorphism of Subsurface Organic Matter on Mars: A Potential Source for Methane and Surface Alteration

Science.gov (United States)

Oehler, D. Z.; Allen, C. C.; McKay, D. S.

2005-01-01

Reports of methane in the Martian atmosphere have spurred speculation about sources for that methane [1-3]. Discussion has centered on cometary/ meteoritic delivery, magmatic/mantle processes, UV-breakdown of organics, serpentinization of basalts, and generation of methane by living organisms. This paper describes an additional possibility: that buried organic remains from past life on Mars may have been generating methane throughout Martian history as a result of heating associated with impact metamorphism.

GreenLITE™: a novel approach for quantification of atmospheric methane concentrations, 2-D spatial distribution, and flux

Science.gov (United States)

Dobler, J. T.; Blume, N.; Pernini, T.; Zaccheo, T. S.; Braun, M.

2017-12-01

The Greenhouse Gas Laser Imaging Tomography Experiment (GreenLITE™) was originally developed by Harris and Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER) under a cooperative agreement with the National Energy Technology Laboratory of the Department of Energy. The system, initially conceived in 2013, used a pair of high-precision intensity modulated continuous wave (IMCW) transceivers and a series of retroreflectors to generate overlapping atmospheric density measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) for continuous monitoring of ground carbon storage sites. The overlapping measurements provide an estimate of the two-dimensional (2-D) spatial distribution of the gas within the area of interest using sparsely sampled tomography methods. GreenLITE™ is a full end-to-end system that utilizes standard 4G connectivity and an all cloud-based data storage, processing, and dissemination suite to provide autonomous, near-real-time data via a web-based user interface. The system has been demonstrated for measuring and mapping CO2 over areas from approximately 0.04 km2 to 25 km2 ( 200 m X 200 m, up to 5 km X 5 km), including a year-long demonstration over the city of Paris, France. In late 2016, the GreenLITE™ system was converted by Harris and AER to provide similar measurement capabilities for methane (CH4). Recent experiments have shown that GreenLITE™ CH4 retrieved concentrations agree with a Picarro cavity ring-down spectrometer, calibrated with World Meteorological Organization traceable gas, to within approximately 0.5% of background or 10-15 parts per billion. The system has been tested with several controlled releases over the past year, including a weeklong experiment at an industrial oil and gas facility. Recent experiments have been exploring the use of a box model-based approach for estimating flux, and the initial results are very promising. We will present a description of the instrument, share some recent methane experimental results, and describe the flux

Activity and diversity of methane-oxidizing bacteria along a Norwegian sub-Arctic glacier forefield.

Science.gov (United States)

Mateos-Rivera, Alejandro; Øvreås, Lise; Wilson, Bryan; Yde, Jacob C; Finster, Kai W

2018-05-01

Methane (CH4) is one of the most abundant greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and identification of its sources and sinks is crucial for the reliability of climate model outputs. Although CH4 production and consumption rates have been reported from a broad spectrum of environments, data obtained from glacier forefields are restricted to a few locations. We report the activities of methanotrophic communities and their diversity along a chronosequence in front of a sub-Arctic glacier using high-throughput sequencing and gas flux measurements. CH4 oxidation rates were measured in the field throughout the growing season during three sampling times at eight different sampling points in combination with laboratory incubation experiments. The overall results showed that the methanotrophic community had similar trends of increased CH4 consumption and increased abundance as a function of soil development and time of year. Sequencing results revealed that the methanotrophic community was dominated by a few OTUs and that a short-term increase in CH4 concentration, as performed in the field measurements, altered slightly the relative abundance of the OTUs.

Methane release

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seifert, M.

1999-01-01

The Swiss Gas Industry has carried out a systematic, technical estimate of methane release from the complete supply chain from production to consumption for the years 1992/1993. The result of this survey provided a conservative value, amounting to 0.9% of the Swiss domestic output. A continuation of the study taking into account new findings with regard to emission factors and the effect of the climate is now available, which provides a value of 0.8% for the target year of 1996. These results show that the renovation of the network has brought about lower losses in the local gas supplies, particularly for the grey cast iron pipelines. (author)

Manual on measurement of methane and nitrous oxide emissions from agriculture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-11-01

Nitrous oxide and methane are two of the gases primarily responsible for atmospheric warming, or the ''greenhouse effect''. Agricultural activities are an important source of methane and nitrous oxide emissions, but quantitation of these sources is generally lacking. This manual describes techniques to evaluate current emissions from diverse animal and crop production practices and suggests methods for decreasing these emissions. Refs, figs and tabs

Methane emissions from bald cypress tree trunks in a bottomland forest

Science.gov (United States)

Schile, L. M.; Pitz, S.; Megonigal, P.

2013-12-01

345 cm above the ground. These results highlight that methane emissions from bald cypress-dominated forests can be a significant source to the atmosphere. Current estimates of methane emissions from forested wetlands likely are underestimated based on these preliminary results, and suggest the increasing importance of tree-mediated methane fluxes to the atmosphere.

The Roles of Sphagnum and Cyperaceae in the Methane Cycle of an Ombrotrophic Bog Revealed by the Carbon Isotope Ratios of Leaf Waxes

Science.gov (United States)

Isles, P. D.; Nichols, J. E.; Peteet, D. M.; Kenna, T. C.

2011-12-01

Methane is a strong greenhouse gas, and the role of the terrestrial carbon cycle in the concentrations of atmospheric methane is poorly understood. What is clear, is that northern peatlands are a significant source of methane to the atmosphere. A recent discovery, and a topic of much scrutiny, has been the relationship between Sphagnum in peatlands and symbiotic methanotrophic bacteria. These bacteria oxidize methane produced at depth in peatlands before it is released to the atmosphere, contributing 13C-depleted CO2 to Sphagnum photosynthate. We seek to better understand the fate of methane produced in peatlands at depth, and the relationship between methane release from peatland surfaces and parameters such as temperature, moisture, and vegetation type. We compare carbon isotope ratios of leaf wax n-alkanes from sphagnum and vascular plants and major element chemistry at three different microhabitats, hummock, hollow, and sedge tussock, in Mer Bleue an ombrotrophic peatland near Ottowa, Ontario, Canada. We use these compound-specific carbon isotope measurements to constrain the amount of methane-derived CO2 incorporated by Sphagnum. We also compare our multiannually resolved down-core measurements to data from long-term monitoring of climate parameters and methane flux from the same microhabitats to ground-truth our sedimentary signature of methane with instrumental measurements.

A sink for methane on Mars? The answer is blowing in the wind

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Knak Jensen, Svend J.; Skibsted, Jørgen; Jakobsen, Hans J.; ten Kate, Inge L.; Gunnlaugsson, Haraldur P.; Merrison, Jonathan P.; Finster, Kai; Bak, Ebbe; Iversen, Jens J.; Kondrup, Jens C.; Nørnberg, Per

2014-01-01

Tumbling experiments that mimic the wind erosion of quartz grains in an atmosphere of 13C-enriched methane are reported. The eroded grains are analyzed by 13C and 29Si solid-state NMR techniques after several months of tumbling. The analysis shows that methane has reacted with the eroded surface to

Fluxed of nitrous oxide and methane in a lake border ecosystem in northern Germany

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rusch, H.; Rembges, D.; Papke, H.; Rennenberg, H. [Fraunhofer Inst. for Atmospheric Environmental Research, Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany)

1995-12-31

Methane and nitrous oxide are radiatively active trace gases. This accounts for approximately 20 % of the total anticipated greenhouse effect. The atmospheric mixing ratio of both gases has increased significantly during the last decades at a rate of 0.25 % yr{sup -l} for N{sub 2}O and a rate of 1 % yr{sup -1} for CH{sub 4}. Whether this increase is caused by enhanced biogenic production of both gases or is due to decreased global sinks, has not been definitely elucidated. Soils are an important source of methane and nitrous oxide. Natural wetlands, e.g., have a similar global source strength of methane as rice paddies. On the other hand, well aerated grasslands have been shown to be a sink for atmospheric methane due to methane oxidation. Nitrous oxide is emitted by a wide range of soil types. Its rate of emission is strongly enhanced by nitrogen fertilization. In the present study, fluxes of methane and nitrous oxide were determined in a lake border ecosystem along a toposequence from reed to dry pasture. The aim of this study was to characterize the influence of soil type, land use and season on the flux rates of these greenhouse gases. (author)

Fluxed of nitrous oxide and methane in a lake border ecosystem in northern Germany

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rusch, H; Rembges, D; Papke, H; Rennenberg, H [Fraunhofer Inst. for Atmospheric Environmental Research, Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany)

1996-12-31

Methane and nitrous oxide are radiatively active trace gases. This accounts for approximately 20 % of the total anticipated greenhouse effect. The atmospheric mixing ratio of both gases has increased significantly during the last decades at a rate of 0.25 % yr{sup -l} for N{sub 2}O and a rate of 1 % yr{sup -1} for CH{sub 4}. Whether this increase is caused by enhanced biogenic production of both gases or is due to decreased global sinks, has not been definitely elucidated. Soils are an important source of methane and nitrous oxide. Natural wetlands, e.g., have a similar global source strength of methane as rice paddies. On the other hand, well aerated grasslands have been shown to be a sink for atmospheric methane due to methane oxidation. Nitrous oxide is emitted by a wide range of soil types. Its rate of emission is strongly enhanced by nitrogen fertilization. In the present study, fluxes of methane and nitrous oxide were determined in a lake border ecosystem along a toposequence from reed to dry pasture. The aim of this study was to characterize the influence of soil type, land use and season on the flux rates of these greenhouse gases. (author)

Chemical composition and methane potential of commercial food wastes.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez, Victoria M; De la Cruz, Florentino B; Barlaz, Morton A

2016-10-01

There is increasing interest in anaerobic digestion in the U.S. However, there is little information on the characterization of commercial food waste sources as well as the effect of waste particle size on methane yield. The objective of this research was to characterize four commercial food waste sources: (1) university dining hall waste, (2) waste resulting from prepared foods and leftover produce at a grocery store, (3) food waste from a hotel and convention center, and (4) food preparation waste from a restaurant. Each sample was tested in triplicate 8L batch anaerobic digesters after shredding and after shredding plus grinding. Average methane yields for the university dining, grocery store, hotel, and restaurant wastes were 363, 427, 492, and 403mL/dry g, respectively. Starch exhibited the most complete consumption and particle size did not significantly affect methane yields for any of the tested substrates. Lipids represented 59-70% of the methane potential of the fresh substrates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New materials for methane capture from dilute and medium-concentration sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, J; Maiti, A; Lin, LC; Stolaroff, JK; Smit, B; Aines, RD

2013-04-16

Methane (CH4) is an important greenhouse gas, second only to CO2, and is emitted into the atmosphere at different concentrations from a variety of sources. However, unlike CO2, which has a quadrupole moment and can be captured both physically and chemically in a variety of solvents and porous solids, methane is completely non-polar and interacts very weakly with most materials. Thus, methane capture poses a challenge that can only be addressed through extensive material screening and ingenious molecular-level designs. Here we report systematic in silico studies on the methane capture effectiveness of two different materials systems, that is, liquid solvents (including ionic liquids) and nanoporous zeolites. Although none of the liquid solvents appears effective as methane sorbents, systematic screening of over 87,000 zeolite structures led to the discovery of a handful of candidates that have sufficient methane sorption capacity as well as appropriate CH4/CO2 and/or CH4/N-2 selectivity to be technologically promising.

Methane emissions from natural gas infrastructure and use in the urban region of Boston, Massachusetts.

Science.gov (United States)

McKain, Kathryn; Down, Adrian; Raciti, Steve M; Budney, John; Hutyra, Lucy R; Floerchinger, Cody; Herndon, Scott C; Nehrkorn, Thomas; Zahniser, Mark S; Jackson, Robert B; Phillips, Nathan; Wofsy, Steven C

2015-02-17

Methane emissions from natural gas delivery and end use must be quantified to evaluate the environmental impacts of natural gas and to develop and assess the efficacy of emission reduction strategies. We report natural gas emission rates for 1 y in the urban region of Boston, using a comprehensive atmospheric measurement and modeling framework. Continuous methane observations from four stations are combined with a high-resolution transport model to quantify the regional average emission flux, 18.5 ± 3.7 (95% confidence interval) g CH4 ⋅ m(-2) ⋅ y(-1). Simultaneous observations of atmospheric ethane, compared with the ethane-to-methane ratio in the pipeline gas delivered to the region, demonstrate that natural gas accounted for ∼ 60-100% of methane emissions, depending on season. Using government statistics and geospatial data on natural gas use, we find the average fractional loss rate to the atmosphere from all downstream components of the natural gas system, including transmission, distribution, and end use, was 2.7 ± 0.6% in the Boston urban region, with little seasonal variability. This fraction is notably higher than the 1.1% implied by the most closely comparable emission inventory.

Molecular gas species in the lunar atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoffman, J.H.; Hodges, R.R. Jr.

1975-01-01

There is good evidence for the existence of very small amounts of methane, ammonia and carbon dioxide in the very tenuous lunar atmosphere which consists primarily of the rare gases helium, neon and argon. All of these gases, except 40 Ar, originate from solar wind particles which impinge on the lunar surface and are imbedded in the surface material. Here they may form molecules before being released into the atmosphere, or may be released directly, as is the case for rare gases. Evidence for the existence of the molecular gas species is based on the pre-dawn enhancement of the mass peaks attributable to these compounds in the data from the Apollo 17 Lunar Mass Spectrometer. Methane is the most abundant molecular gas but its concentration is exceedingly low, 1 x 10 3 mol cm -3 , slightly less than 36 Ar, whereas the solar wind flux of carbon is approximately 2000 times that of 36 Ar. Several reasons are advanced for the very low concentration of methane in the lunar atmosphere

The operational methane retrieval algorithm for TROPOMI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Hu

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This work presents the operational methane retrieval algorithm for the Sentinel 5 Precursor (S5P satellite and its performance tested on realistic ensembles of simulated measurements. The target product is the column-averaged dry air volume mixing ratio of methane (XCH4, which will be retrieved simultaneously with scattering properties of the atmosphere. The algorithm attempts to fit spectra observed by the shortwave and near-infrared channels of the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI spectrometer aboard S5P.The sensitivity of the retrieval performance to atmospheric scattering properties, atmospheric input data and instrument calibration errors is evaluated. In addition, we investigate the effect of inhomogeneous slit illumination on the instrument spectral response function. Finally, we discuss the cloud filters to be used operationally and as backup.We show that the required accuracy and precision of  < 1 % for the XCH4 product are met for clear-sky measurements over land surfaces and after appropriate filtering of difficult scenes. The algorithm is very stable, having a convergence rate of 99 %. The forward model error is less than 1 % for about 95 % of the valid retrievals. Model errors in the input profile of water do not influence the retrieval outcome noticeably. The methane product is expected to meet the requirements if errors in input profiles of pressure and temperature remain below 0.3 % and 2 K, respectively. We further find that, of all instrument calibration errors investigated here, our retrievals are the most sensitive to an error in the instrument spectral response function of the shortwave infrared channel.

Material constraints related to storage of future European renewable electricity surpluses with CO_2 methanation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meylan, Frédéric D.; Moreau, Vincent; Erkman, Suren

2016-01-01

The main challenges associated with a growing production of renewable electricity are intermittency and dispersion. Intermittency generates spikes in production, which need to be curtailed when exceeding consumption. Dispersion means electricity has to be transported over long distances between production and consumption sites. In the Directive 2009/28/EC, the European Commission recommends sustainable and effective measures to prevent curtailments and facilitate transportation of renewable electricity. This article explores the material constraints of storing and transporting surplus renewable electricity by conversion into synthetic methane. Europe is considered for its mix of energy technologies, data availability and multiple energy pathways to 2050. Results show that the requirements for key materials and land remain relatively low, respecting the recommendations of the EU Commission. By 2050, more than 6 million tons of carbon dioxide might be transformed into methane annually within the EU. The efficiency of renewable power methane production is also compared to the natural process of converting solar into chemical energy (i.e. photosynthesis), both capturing and reenergizing carbon dioxide. Overall, the production of renewable methane (including carbon dioxide capture) is more efficient and less material intensive than the production of biofuels derived from photosynthesis and biomass conversion. - Highlights: •The potential of methanation to store renewable electricity surpluses is assessed. •Material constraints are relatively low. •Biogenic CO_2 will probably be insufficient. •Production of renewable power methane is more efficient than conventional biofuels. •Renewable power methane can help decarbonizing the global energy sector.

Reducing the environmental impact of methane emissions from dairy farms by anaerobic digestion of cattle waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Marañón, E; Salter, A M; Castrillón, L; Heaven, S; Fernández-Nava, Y

2011-08-01

Four dairy cattle farms considered representative of Northern Spain milk production were studied. Cattle waste was characterised and energy consumption in the farms was inventoried. Methane emissions due to slurry/manure management and fuel consumption on the farms were calculated. The possibility of applying anaerobic digestion to the slurry to minimise emissions and of using the biogas produced to replace fossil fuels on the farm was considered. Methane emissions due to slurry management (storage and use as fertiliser) ranged from 34 to 66kg CH(4)cow(-1)year(-1) for dairy cows and from 13 to 25kg CH(4)cow(-1)year(-1) for suckler calves. Cattle on these farms are housed for most of the year, and the contribution from emissions from manure dropped in pastures is insignificant due to the very low methane conversion factors. If anaerobic digestion were implemented on the farms, the potential GHG emissions savings per livestock unit would range from 978 to 1776kg CO(2)eq year(-1), with the main savings due to avoided methane emissions during slurry management. The methane produced would be sufficient to supply digester heating needs (35-55% of the total methane produced) and on-farm fuel energy requirements. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methane emissions by Chinese economy. Inventory and embodiment analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Bo; Chen, G.Q.

2010-01-01

Concrete inventories for methane emissions and associated embodied emissions in production, consumption, and international trade are presented in this paper for the mainland Chinese economy in 2007 with most recent availability of relevant environmental resources statistics and the input-output table. The total CH 4 emission by Chinese economy 2007 estimated as 39,592.70 Gg is equivalent to three quarters of China's CO 2 emission from fuel combustion by the global thermodynamic potentials, and even by the commonly referred lower IPCC global warming potentials is equivalent to one sixth of China's CO 2 emission from fuel combustion and greater than the CO 2 emissions from fuel combustion of many economically developed countries such as UK, Canada, and Germany. Agricultural activities and coal mining are the dominant direct emission sources, and the sector of Construction holds the top embodied emissions in both production and consumption. The emission embodied in gross capital formation is more than those in other components of final demand characterized by extensive investment and limited consumption. China is a net exporter of embodied CH 4 emissions with the emission embodied in exports of 14,021.80 Gg, in magnitude up to 35.42% of the total direct emission. China's exports of textile products, industrial raw materials, and primary machinery and equipment products have a significant impact on its net embodied emissions of international trade balance. Corresponding policy measures such as agricultural carbon-reduction strategies, coalbed methane recovery, export-oriented and low value added industry adjustment, and low carbon energy polices to methane emission mitigation are addressed. (author)

Constructing a Spatially Resolved Methane Emission Inventory of Natural Gas Production and Distribution over Contiguous United States

Science.gov (United States)

Li, X.; Omara, M.; Adams, P. J.; Presto, A. A.

2017-12-01

Methane is the second most powerful greenhouse gas after Carbon Dioxide. The natural gas production and distribution accounts for 23% of the total anthropogenic methane emissions in the United States. The boost of natural gas production in U.S. in recent years poses a potential concern of increased methane emissions from natural gas production and distribution. The Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research (Edgar) v4.2 and the EPA Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GHGI) are currently the most commonly used methane emission inventories. However, recent studies suggested that both Edgar v4.2 and the EPA GHGI largely underestimated the methane emission from natural gas production and distribution in U.S. constrained by both ground and satellite measurements. In this work, we built a gridded (0.1° Latitude ×0.1° Longitude) methane emission inventory of natural gas production and distribution over the contiguous U.S. using emission factors measured by our mobile lab in the Marcellus Shale, the Denver-Julesburg Basin, and the Uintah Basin, and emission factors reported from other recent field studies for other natural gas production regions. The activity data (well location and count) are mostly obtained from the Drillinginfo, the EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) and the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Results show that the methane emission from natural gas production and distribution estimated by our inventory is about 20% higher than the EPA GHGI, and in some major natural gas production regions, methane emissions estimated by the EPA GHGI are significantly lower than our inventory. For example, in the Marcellus Shale, our estimated annual methane emission in 2015 is 600 Gg higher than the EPA GHGI. We also ran the GEOS-Chem methane simulation to estimate the methane concentration in the atmosphere with our built inventory, the EPA GHGI and the Edgar v4.2 over the nested North American Domain. These simulation results showed differences in

Methane oxidation in pig and cattle slurry storages, and effects of surface crust moisture and methane availability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, S.O.; Ambus, P.

2006-01-01

Storages with liquid manure (slurry) may develop a surface crust of particulate organic matter, or an artificial crust can be established. Slurry storages are net sources of atmospheric methane (CH4), but a potential for bacterial oxidation of CH4 in surface crusts was recently suggested in a study......2 during incubation, while intact subsamples were used to characterize CH4 oxidation as a function of CH4 availability and moisture content. Methane oxidation was observed in all materials except for an expanded clay product (Leca) sampled from a pig slurry storage. Despite significant variation...... crusts indicates that there is a potential for stimulating the process by manipulation of gas phase composition above the stored slurry....

Generalized hypothesis of the origin of the living-matter simplest elements, transformation of the Archean atmosphere, and the formation of methane-hydrate deposits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ostrovskii, Viktor E; Kadyshevich, Elena A

2007-01-01

The original hydrate hypothesis of the origin of living-matter simplest elements (LMSEs), i.e., the 'Life Origination Hydrate hypothesis,' abbreviated as the LOH hypothesis, is discussed. It includes notions of the interdependence and interconditionality of processes leading to the life origin, to the transformation of the primary atmosphere, and to the underground methane-hydrate formation. Saturation of the young earth's crust with nebular hydrogen is taken into consideration for the first time. The origin of LMSEs is regarded as a result of regular and thermodynamically caused inevitable chemical transformations and of the universal physical and chemical laws. According to the LOH hypothesis, LMSEs originated repeatedly and, maybe, are now originating from methane (or other simple hydrocarbons), niter, and phosphate within boundary layers of the solid phases of the hydrates of the simplest hydrocarbons. It is assumed that the phenomenon of monochirality of nucleic acids is caused by geometric features of the structure matrix. (reviews of topical problems)

Generalized hypothesis of the origin of the living-matter simplest elements, transformation of the Archean atmosphere, and the formation of methane-hydrate deposits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ostrovskii, Viktor E [L. Ya. Karpov Institute of Physical Chemistry, Moscow (Russian Federation); Kadyshevich, Elena A [A.M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2007-02-28

The original hydrate hypothesis of the origin of living-matter simplest elements (LMSEs), i.e., the 'Life Origination Hydrate hypothesis,' abbreviated as the LOH hypothesis, is discussed. It includes notions of the interdependence and interconditionality of processes leading to the life origin, to the transformation of the primary atmosphere, and to the underground methane-hydrate formation. Saturation of the young earth's crust with nebular hydrogen is taken into consideration for the first time. The origin of LMSEs is regarded as a result of regular and thermodynamically caused inevitable chemical transformations and of the universal physical and chemical laws. According to the LOH hypothesis, LMSEs originated repeatedly and, maybe, are now originating from methane (or other simple hydrocarbons), niter, and phosphate within boundary layers of the solid phases of the hydrates of the simplest hydrocarbons. It is assumed that the phenomenon of monochirality of nucleic acids is caused by geometric features of the structure matrix. (reviews of topical problems)

Information content analysis: the potential for methane isotopologue retrieval from GOSAT-2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Malina

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Atmospheric methane is comprised of multiple isotopic molecules, with the most abundant being 12CH4 and 13CH4, making up 98 and 1.1 % of atmospheric methane respectively. It has been shown that is it possible to distinguish between sources of methane (biogenic methane, e.g. marshland, or abiogenic methane, e.g. fracking via a ratio of these main methane isotopologues, otherwise known as the δ13C value. δ13C values typically range between −10 and −80 ‰, with abiogenic sources closer to zero and biogenic sources showing more negative values. Initially, we suggest that a δ13C difference of 10 ‰ is sufficient, in order to differentiate between methane source types, based on this we derive that a precision of 0.2 ppbv on 13CH4 retrievals may achieve the target δ13C variance. Using an application of the well-established information content analysis (ICA technique for assumed clear-sky conditions, this paper shows that using a combination of the shortwave infrared (SWIR bands on the planned Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT-2 mission, 13CH4 can be measured with sufficient information content to a precision of between 0.7 and 1.2 ppbv from a single sounding (assuming a total column average value of 19.14 ppbv, which can then be reduced to the target precision through spatial and temporal averaging techniques. We therefore suggest that GOSAT-2 can be used to differentiate between methane source types. We find that large unconstrained covariance matrices are required in order to achieve sufficient information content, while the solar zenith angle has limited impact on the information content.

Compact Methane Sensing Lidar for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Even though gaseous methane (CH4) is a comparatively sparse constituent in Earth's atmosphere, it is the third most impactful greenhouse gas after water vapor and...

Methane from shallow seep areas of the NW Svalbard Arctic margin does not reach the sea surface

Science.gov (United States)

Silyakova, Anna; Greinert, Jens; Jansson, Pär; Ferré, Bénédicte

2015-04-01

Methane, an important greenhouse gas, leaks from large areas of the Arctic Ocean floor. One overall question is how much methane passes from the seabed through the water column, potentially reaching the atmosphere. Transport of methane from the ocean floor into and through the water column depends on many factors such as distribution of gas seeps, microbial methane oxidation, and ambient oceanographic conditions, which may trigger a change in seep activity. From June-July 2014 we investigated dissolved methane in the water column emanating from the "Prins Karls Forland seeps" area offshore the NW Svalbard Arctic margin. Measurements of the spatial variability of dissolved methane in the water column included 65 CTD stations located in a grid covering an area of 30 by 15 km. We repeated an oceanographic transect twice in a week for time lapse studies, thus documenting significant temporal variability in dissolved methane above one shallow seep site (~100 m water depth). Analysis of both nutrient concentrations and dissolved methane in water samples from the same transect, reveal striking similarities in spatial patterns of both dissolved methane and nutrients indicating that microbial community is involved in methane cycling above the gas seepage. Our preliminary results suggest that although methane release can increase in a week's time, providing twice as much dissolved gas to the water column, no methane from a seep reaches the sea surface. Instead it spreads horizontally under the pycnocline. Yet microbial communities react rapidly to the methane supply above gas seepage areas and may also have an important role as an effective filter, hindering methane release from the ocean to the atmosphere during rapid methane ebullition. This study is funded by CAGE (Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate), Norwegian Research Council grant no. 223259.

The influence of topography on Titan’s atmospheric circulation and hydrologic cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Lora, Juan M.; Faulk, Sean; Mitchell, Jonathan

2017-10-01

Titan’s atmospheric circulation is a dominant driver of the global methane hydrologic cycle—producing weather and a seasonal climate cycle—while interactions between the surface and the troposphere strongly constrain regional climates, and contribute to the differentiation between Titan’s low latitude deserts and high latitude lake districts. Yet the influence of surface topography on the atmospheric circulation has only been studied in a few instances, and no published work has investigated the coupling between topographical forcing and Titan’s hydrologic cycle. In this work, we examine the impacts of global topography in the Titan Atmospheric Model (TAM), which includes a robust representation of the methane cycle. We focus in particular on the influence of large-scale topographical features on the atmospheric flow, atmospheric moisture transport, and cloud formation. High latitude transient weather systems have previously been identified as important contributors to global atmospheric methane transport, and here we examine whether topographically-forced stationary or quasi-permanent systems are also important, as they are in Earth’s hydrologic cycle.

Extreme methane emissions from a Swiss hydropower reservoir: contribution from bubbling sediments.

Science.gov (United States)

Delsontro, Tonya; McGinnis, Daniel F; Sobek, Sebastian; Ostrovsky, Ilia; Wehrli, Bernhard

2010-04-01

Methane emission pathways and their importance were quantified during a yearlong survey of a temperate hydropower reservoir. Measurements using gas traps indicated very high ebullition rates, but due to the stochastic nature of ebullition a mass balance approach was crucial to deduce system-wide methane sources and losses. Methane diffusion from the sediment was generally low and seasonally stable and did not account for the high concentration of dissolved methane measured in the reservoir discharge. A strong positive correlation between water temperature and the observed dissolved methane concentration enabled us to quantify the dissolved methane addition from bubble dissolution using a system-wide mass balance. Finally, knowing the contribution due to bubble dissolution, we used a bubble model to estimate bubble emission directly to the atmosphere. Our results indicated that the total methane emission from Lake Wohlen was on average >150 mg CH(4) m(-2) d(-1), which is the highest ever documented for a midlatitude reservoir. The substantial temperature-dependent methane emissions discovered in this 90-year-old reservoir indicate that temperate water bodies can be an important but overlooked methane source.

Megafauna and frozen soil: the drivers of atmospheric CH4 dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Zimov, N.; Zimov, S. A.

2010-12-01

During the last deglaciation (LD) a strong increase in atmospheric methane (CH4) concentrations occurred simultaneously with a rise in Greenland temperatures indicating that in the north, during this time period, strong CH4 sources “awakened”, as additionally documented by the appearance of a strong gradient between northern (Greenland) and southern (Antarctica) hemisphere atmospheric CH4 concentrations. This rise could not be caused by wetland expansion. A reconstruction of peatland formation dynamics has indicated that wetlands on Earth were few in LD and only actively expanded 10,000 yr BP, after atmospheric CH4 concentrations began to decline. Destabilization of methane clathrates also could not be the source for atmospheric CH4 increase. Geological CH4 (including methane clathrates) has the highest deuterium content (δD) among all of the known sources of CH4 while atmospheric CH4 δD values determined for the LD were record low. To explain recorded atmospheric CH4 and its isotopic dynamics required a strong northern source, which was active only during the LD and that provided very low δD CH4 values. Such a source is permafrost thawing under anaerobic conditions (or better stated soils of mammoth steppe-tundra ecosystems). Permafrost thawing is the strongest, among known, wetland sources (usually over 100g CH4/m2yr) and has a unique isotopic signature (δD = -400 per mil (-338 to -479 per mil), δ13C = -73 per mil (-58 to -99 per mil)). The main sources of atmospheric CH4 have different isotopic signatures (δ13C, δD). The isotopic content of atmospheric CH4 is a simple function of the weight average for all of the sources. Inclusion of permafrost source into a budget model of the atmospheric methane and its isotopes allowed us to reconstruct the dynamics of methane’s main sources. Model indicated geological source to be negligible as in LGM so and in LD and Holocene. During the glaciation, the largest methane source was megafauna, whose 1

Activity and diversity of methane-oxidizing bacteria in glacier forefields on siliceous and calcareous bedrock

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. A. Nauer

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The global methane (CH₄ cycle is largely driven by methanogenic archaea and methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB, but little is known about their activity and diversity in pioneer ecosystems. We conducted a field survey in forefields of 13 receding Swiss glaciers on both siliceous and calcareous bedrock to investigate and quantify CH₄ turnover based on soil-gas CH₄ concentration profiles, and to characterize the MOB community by sequencing and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP analysis of pmoA. Methane turnover was fundamentally different in the two bedrock categories. Of the 36 CH₄ concentration profiles from siliceous locations, 11 showed atmospheric CH₄ consumption at concentrations of ~1–2 μL L⁻¹ with soil-atmosphere CH₄ fluxes of –0.14 to –1.1 mg m⁻² d⁻¹. Another 11 profiles showed no apparent activity, while the remaining 14 exhibited slightly increased CH₄ concentrations of ~2–10 μL L⁻¹ , most likely due to microsite methanogenesis. In contrast, all profiles from calcareous sites suggested a substantial, yet unknown CH₄ source below our sampling zone, with soil-gas CH₄ concentrations reaching up to 1400 μL L⁻¹. Remarkably, most soils oxidized ~90 % of the deep-soil CH₄, resulting in soil-atmosphere fluxes of 0.12 to 31 mg m⁻² d⁻¹. MOB showed limited diversity in both siliceous and calcareous forefields: all identified pmoA sequences formed only 5 operational taxonomic units (OTUs at the species level and, with one exception, could be assigned to either Methylocystis or the as-yet-uncultivated Upland Soil Cluster γ (USCγ. The latter dominated T-RFLP patterns of all siliceous and most calcareous samples, while Methylocystis dominated in 4 calcareous samples. Members of Upland Soil

Methane distributions and transports in the nocturnal boundary layer at a rural station

Science.gov (United States)

Schäfer, Klaus; Zeeman, Matthias; Brosy, Caroline; Münkel, Christoph; Fersch, Benjamin; Mauder, Matthias; Emeis, Stefan

2016-10-01

To investigate the methane distributions and transports, the role of related atmospheric processes by determination of vertical profiles of wind, turbulence, temperature and humidity as well as nocturnal boundary layer (NBL) height and the quantification of methane emissions at local and plot scale the so-called ScaleX-campaign was performed in a pre-alpine observatory in Southern Germany from 01 June until 31 July 2015. The following measurements from the ground up to the free troposphere were performed: layering of the atmosphere by a ceilometer (Vaisala CL51); temperature, wind, turbulence profiles from 50 m up to 500 m by a Radio-Acoustic Sounding System (RASS, Metek GmbH); temperature, humidity profiles in situ by a hexacopter; methane farm emissions by two open-path laser spectrometers (Boreal GasFinder2); methane concentrations in situ (Los Gatos DLT-100) with tubes in 0.3 m agl and 5 sampling heads; and methane soil emissions by a big chamber (10 m length, 2.60 m width, up to 0.61 m height) with a plastic cover. The methane concentrations near the surface show a daily variation with a maximum and a frequent double-peak structure during night-time. Analysis of the variation of the nocturnal methane concentration together with the hexacopter and RASS data indicates that the first peak in the nocturnal methane concentration is probably due to local cooling and stabilization which keeps the methane emissions from the soil near the ground. The second peak seems to be due to advection of methane-enriched air which had formed in the environment of the nearby farm yards. These dairy farm emissions were determined by up-wind and down-wind open-path concentration measurements, turbulence data from an EC station nearby and Backward Lagrangian Simulation (WindTrax software). The methane fluxes at plot scale (big chamber) are characterized by emissions at water saturated grassland patches, by an exponential decrease of these emissions during grassland drying, and by an

Methane emissions from a high arctic valley: findings and challenges

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mastepanov, Mikhail; Sigsgaard, Charlotte; Ström, Lena

2008-01-01

Wet tundra ecosystems are well-known to be a significant source of atmospheric methane. With the predicted stronger effect of global climate change on arctic terrestrial ecosystems compared to lower-latitudes, there is a special obligation to study the natural diversity and the range of possible...... feedback effects on global climate that could arise from Arctic tundra ecosystems. One of the prime candidates for such a feedback mechanism is a potential change in the emissions of methane. Long-term datasets on methane emissions from high arctic sites are almost non-existing but badly needed...... for analyses of controls on interannual and seasonal variations in emissions. To help fill this gap we initiated a measurement program in a productive high arctic fen in the Zackenberg valley, NE Greenland. Methane flux measurements have been carried out at the same location since 1997. Compared...

Organic chemistry in Titan's atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Scattergood, T.

1982-01-01

Laboratory photochemical simulations and other types of chemical simulations are discussed. The chemistry of methane, which is the major known constituent of Titan's atmosphere was examined with stress on what can be learned from photochemistry and particle irradiation. The composition of dust that comprises the haze layer was determined. Isotope fractionation in planetary atmospheres is also discussed.

Ground truthing for methane hotspots at Railroad Valley, NV - application to Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Detweiler, A. M.; Kelley, C. A.; Bebout, B.; McKay, C. P.; DeMarines, J.; Yates, E. L.; Iraci, L. T.

2011-12-01

During the 2010 Greenhouse gas Observing SATellite (GOSAT) calibration and validation campaign at Railroad Valley (RRV) playa, NV, unexpected methane and carbon dioxide fluctuations were observed at the dry lakebed. Possible sources included the presence of natural gas (thermogenic methane) from oil deposits in the surrounding playa, and/or methane production from microbial activity (biogenic) in the subsurface of the playa. In the summer of 2011, measurements were undertaken to identify potential methane sources at RRV. The biogenicity of the methane was determined based on δ13C values and methane/ethane ratios. Soil gas samples and sediments were collected at different sites in the playa and surrounding areas. The soils of the playa consist of a surface crust layer (upper ~ 10 cm) grading to a dense clay below about 25 cm. Soil gas from the playa, sampled at about 20 and 80 cm depths, reflected atmospheric methane concentrations, ranging from 2 to 2.4 ppm, suggesting that no methane was produced within the playa. Natural springs on the northeast and western border of the playa, detected as methane hotspots from a flyover by the Sensor Integrated Environmental Remote Research Aircraft (SIERRA), were also sampled. Bubbles in these springs had methane concentrations that ranged from 69 to 84% by volume. In addition, ethane was detected at very low concentrations, giving methane/ethane ratios in excess of 100,000, indicating biogenic methane in the springs. Soils and sediments collected at the playa and spring sites were incubated in vials over a period of ~23 days. Methane production was observed in the spring sites (avg. 228.6 ± 49.1 nmol/g/d at Kate Springs), but was not evident for the playa sites. The incubation data, therefore, corroborated in situ methane concentration measurements. Particulate organic carbon (POC) was low for all sites samples (0.05-0.38%), with the exception of Kate Springs, which had a much higher POC concentration of 3.4 ± 0

Modeling and simulation of CO methanation process for renewable electricity storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Er-rbib, Hanaâ; Bouallou, Chakib

2014-01-01

In this paper, a new approach of converting renewable electricity into methane via syngas (a mixture of CO and H 2 ) and CO methanation is presented. Surplus of electricity is used to electrolyze H 2 O and CO 2 to H 2 and CO by using a SOEC (Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell). Syngas produced is then converted into methane. When high consumption peaks appear, methane is used to produce electricity. The main conversion step in this process is CO methanation. A modeling of catalytic fixed bed methanation reactor and a design of methanation unit composed of multistage adiabatic reactors are carried out using Aspen plus™ software. The model was validated by comparing the simulated results of gas composition (CH 4 , CO, CO 2 and H 2 ) with industrial data. In addition, the effects of recycle ratio on adiabatic reactor stages, outlet temperature, and H 2 and CO conversions are carefully investigated. It is found that for storing 10 MW of renewable electricity, methanation unit is composed of three adiabatic reactors with recycle loop and intermediate cooling at 553 K and 1.5 MPa. The methanation unit generates 3778.6 kg/h of steam at 523.2 K and 1 MPa (13.67 MW). - Highlights: • A catalytic fixed bed reactor of CO methanation was modeled. • The maximum relative error of the methanation reactor model is 12%. • For 10 MW storage of renewable electricity, three adiabatic reactors are required. • The recycle ratio affects the reactor outlet temperature and CO conversion

Bio-methanation of municipal solid wastes for ecological balance and sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadangi, Subhash Ch.

2000-01-01

The importance of bio-methanation of municipal solid wastes for over all improvement of environment and for converting wastes into wealth, the national planners should make all out efforts to implement the concept on a large scale to meet the challenges of future demands of energy, ecology and sustainable development. The huge quantity of methane generated from MSW (Municipal Solid Wastes) after treatment and desulfuration is utilised to generate electric power. Hence, development of methane resource as an alternative to energy source has attracted attention in recent years in many parts of the world. Methane is a much more powerful green house gas as its adverse impacts are felt more intensely due to its higher residence and higher potency in the atmosphere. The article highlights the process of bio-methanation of municipal solid wastes and planning for ecological balance and sustainable development

CHANGE OF PARADIGM IN UNDERGROUND HARD COAL MINING THROUGH EXTRACTION AND CAPITALIZATION OF METHANE FOR ENERGY PRODUCTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valeriu PLESEA

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Besides oil and gas, coal is the most important fossil fuel for energy production. Of the energy mixture of our country, the internal production gas share is 80% of the required annual consumption, of about 14 billion cubic meters, the rest of 20% being insured by importing, by the Russian company Gazprom. The share of coal in the National Power System (NPS is of 24% and is one of the most profitable energy production sources, taking into account the continuous increase of gas price and its dependence on external suppliers. Taking into account the infestation of the atmosphere and global warming as effect of important release of greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide as a result of coal burning for energy production in thermal power plants, there is required to identify new solutions for keeping the environment clean. Such a solution is presented in the study and analysis shown in the paper and is the extraction and capitalization of methane from the coal deposits and the underground spaces remaining free after mine closures. Underground methane extraction is considered even more opportune because, during coal exploitation, large quantities of such combustible gas are released and exhausted into the atmosphere by the degasification and ventilation stations from the surface, representing and important pollution factor for the environment, as greenhouse gas with high global warming potential (high GWP of about 21 times higher than carbon dioxide.

Identification of urban gas leaks and evaluation of methane emission inventories using mobile measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Zazzeri, Giulia; Lowry, Dave; Fisher, Rebecca E.; France, James L.; Butler, Dominique; Lanoisellé, Mathias; Nisbet, Euan G.

2017-04-01

Leakages from the natural gas distribution network, power plants and refineries account for the 10% of national methane emissions in the UK (http://naei.defra.gov.uk/), and are identified as a major source of methane in big conurbations (e.g. Townsend-Small et al., 2012; Phillips et al., 2013). The National Atmospheric Emission Inventories (NAEI) website provides a list of gas installations, but emissions from gas leakage, which in the inventories are estimated on the basis of the population distribution, are difficult to predict, which makes their estimation highly uncertain. Surveys with a mobile measurement system (Zazzeri et al., 2015) were carried out in the London region for detection of fugitive natural gas and in other sites in the UK (i.e. Bacton, Southampton, North Yorkshire) to identify emissions from various gas installations. The methane isotopic analysis of air samples collected during the surveys, using the methodology in Zazzeri et al. (2015), allows the calculation of the δ13C signature characterising natural gas in the UK. The isotopic value of the natural gas supply to SE London has changed a little in recent years, being close to -34 ‰ over 1998-99 period (Lowry et al., 2001) and close to -36 ‰ since at least 2002. Emissions from gas installations, such as pumping stations in NE England (-41 ± 2 ‰ ) were detected, but some of them were not listed in the inventories. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of the gas leaks identified during the surveys in the London region does not coincide with the distribution suggested by the inventories. By locating both small gas leaks and emissions from large gas installations, we can verify how these methane sources are targeted by national emission inventories. Lowry, D., Holmes, C.W., Rata, N.D., O'Brien, P., and Nisbet, E.G., 2001, London methane emissions: Use of diurnal changes in concentration and δ13C to identify urban sources and verify inventories: Journal of Geophysical Research

Methane rising from the Deep: Hydrates, Bubbles, Oil Spills, and Global Warming

Science.gov (United States)

Leifer, I.; Rehder, G. J.; Solomon, E. A.; Kastner, M.; Asper, V. L.; Joye, S. B.

2011-12-01

Elevated methane concentrations in near-surface waters and the atmosphere have been reported for seepage from depths of nearly 1 km at the Gulf of Mexico hydrate observatory (MC118), suggesting that for some methane sources, deepsea methane is not trapped and can contribute to atmospheric greenhouse gas budgets. Ebullition is key with important sensitivity to the formation of hydrate skins and oil coatings, high-pressure solubility, bubble size and bubble plume processes. Bubble ROV tracking studies showed survival to near thermocline depths. Studies with a numerical bubble propagation model demonstrated that consideration of structure I hydrate skins transported most methane only to mid-water column depths. Instead, consideration of structure II hydrates, which are stable to far shallower depths and appropriate for natural gas mixtures, allows bubbles to survive to far shallower depths. Moreover, model predictions of vertical methane and alkane profiles and bubble size evolution were in better agreement with observations after consideration of structure II hydrate properties as well as an improved implementation of plume properties, such as currents. These results demonstrate the importance of correctly incorporating bubble hydrate processes in efforts to predict the impact of deepsea seepage as well as to understand the fate of bubble-transported oil and methane from deepsea pipeline leaks and well blowouts. Application to the DWH spill demonstrated the importance of deepsea processes to the fate of spilled subsurface oil. Because several of these parameters vary temporally (bubble flux, currents, temperature), sensitivity studies indicate the importance of real-time monitoring data.

Remote sensing of methane with OSAS-lidar on the 2ν3 band Q-branch: Experimental proof

Science.gov (United States)

Galtier, Sandrine; Anselmo, Christophe; Welschinger, Jean-Yves; Sivignon, J. F.; Cariou, Jean-Pierre; Miffre, Alain; Rairoux, Patrick

2018-06-01

Optical sensors based on absorption spectroscopy play a central role in the detection and monitoring of atmospheric trace gases. We here present for the first time the experimental demonstration of OSAS-Lidar on the remote sensing of CH4 in the atmosphere. This new methodology, the OSAS-Lidar, couples the Optical Similitude Absorption Spectroscopy (OSAS) methodology with a light detection and ranging device. It is based on the differential absorption of spectrally integrated signals following Beer Lambert-Bouguer law, which are range-resolved. Its novelty originates from the use of broadband laser spectroscopy and from the mathematical approach used to retrieve the trace gas concentration. We previously applied the OSAS methodology in laboratory on the 2ν3 methane absorption band, centered at the 1665 nm wavelength and demonstrated that the OSAS-methodology is almost independent from atmospheric temperature and pressure. In this paper, we achieve an OSAS-Lidar device capable of observing large concentrations of CH4 released from a methane source directly into the atmosphere. Comparison with a standard in-situ measurement device shows that the path-integrated concentrations retrieved from OSAS-Lidar methodology exhibit sufficient sensitivity (2 000 ppm m) and observational time resolution (1 s) to remotely sense methane leaks in the atmosphere. The coupling of OSAS-lidar with a wind measurement device opens the way to monitor time-resolved methane flux emissions, which is important in regards to future climate mitigation involving regional reduction of CH4 flux emissions.

Gas hydrates: entrance to a methane age or climate threat?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krey, Volker; Nakicenovic, Nebojsa; Grubler, Arnulf; O'Neill, Brian; Riahi, Keywan; Canadell, Josep G; Abe, Yuichi; Andruleit, Harald; Archer, David; Hamilton, Neil T M; Johnson, Arthur; Kostov, Veselin; Lamarque, Jean-Francois; Langhorne, Nicholas; Nisbet, Euan G; Riedel, Michael; Wang Weihua; Yakushev, Vladimir

2009-01-01

Methane hydrates, ice-like compounds in which methane is held in crystalline cages formed by water molecules, are widespread in areas of permafrost such as the Arctic and in sediments on the continental margins. They are a potentially vast fossil fuel energy source but, at the same time, could be destabilized by changing pressure-temperature conditions due to climate change, potentially leading to strong positive carbon-climate feedbacks. To enhance our understanding of both the vulnerability of and the opportunity provided by methane hydrates, it is necessary (i) to conduct basic research that improves the highly uncertain estimates of hydrate occurrences and their response to changing environmental conditions, and (ii) to integrate the agendas of energy security and climate change which can provide an opportunity for methane hydrates-in particular if combined with carbon capture and storage-to be used as a 'bridge fuel' between carbon-intensive fossil energies and zero-emission energies. Taken one step further, exploitation of dissociating methane hydrates could even mitigate against escape of methane to the atmosphere. Despite these opportunities, so far, methane hydrates have been largely absent from energy and climate discussions, including global hydrocarbon assessments and the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Microtopography and methane flux in boreal peatlands, northern Ontario, Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bubier, J.; Costello, A.; Moore, T.R.; Roulet, N.T.; Savage, K.

1993-01-01

Peatlands act as a major sink of carbon dioxide and a source of methane. Fluxes of methane were measured by a static chamber technique at hummock, hollow, and lawn microtopographic locations in 12 peatland sites near Cochrane, northern Ontario, from May to October 1991. Average fluxes (mg/m 2 /d) were 2.3 at hummocks, 44.4 at hollows, and 15.6 at lawns. Methane flux was negatively correlated with average water table position based on the 36 locations, with hummocks having a smaller flux than hollows or lawns, where the water table depth was <25 cm. Peat samples from a bog hummock and hollow failed to produce methane during anaerobic incubations in the laboratory; samples from a poor fen hollow produced <1.4 μg/g/d. The production decreased with depth but was greater than the rates observed during incubation of samples from an adjacent hummock. Rates of methane consumption during aerobic incubations ranged from 1 to 55 μg/g/d and were greatest in the surface layers and decreased with depth. Differences in methane emissions between hummocks and hollows appear to be controlled primarily by greater methane production rates in hollows compared with hummocks. Of secondary importance are the capacity of the peat profiles to consume methane during its transport to the peat surface and warmer temperatures at the water table beneath hollows compared with hummocks. 29 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs

Inter-hemispheric gradient of atmospheric trace gases in the Pacific

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowe, D.; Manning, M.; Brailsford, G.; Bromley, T.; Moss, R.; Ferretti, D.

1997-01-01

Measurements of atmospheric trace gases show that the concentrations and isotopic compositions of these species can change dramatically across the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) separating the two hemispheres. Because the anthropogenic sources of virtually all trace gases are greater in the northern than in the southern hemisphere, concentrations of the species are lower in the southern hemisphere. Typically the concentration gradient is inversely proportional to the lifetime of the trace gas in the atmosphere. Hence understanding the transport across the ITCZ is crucial to determining the variation of important trace gases in the New Zealand region. Container ships are being used to collect large clean air samples on voyages across the Pacific on great circle routes between Auckland (New Zealand), Honolulu (Hawaii) and Los Angeles and Seattle on the US West coast. Measurements on these samples are being used to supplement extensive carbon isotope measurements of atmospheric methane made at fixed sites in the southern hemisphere: Baring Head (New Zealand), Suva (Fiji) and Scott Base (Antarctica) to provide information on the global methane cycle. The authors present the first results of high precision measurements of the stable isotopes of atmospheric carbon monoxide and methane in transects across the equator. These have been obtained using a Finnigan MAT 252 high precision isotope ratio mass spectrometer with a modified miniature inlet system and a stringent calibration protocol. Overall precision for δ 13 C in ambient methane and carbon monoxide in clean air approaches 0.02 per thousand which helps provide information on several subtle processes controlling the abundance of the trace gases in the atmosphere. The 13 C in methane and carbon dioxide data show remarkable seasonal variations across the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and may be used to infer aspects of transport of gases to extra tropical regions in the southern hemisphere

Continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry method for carbon and hydrogen isotope measurements on atmospheric methane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Brass

2010-12-01

Full Text Available We describe a continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry (CF-IRMS technique for high-precision δD and δ¹³C measurements of atmospheric methane on 40 mL air samples. CH₄ is separated from other air components by utilizing purely physical processes based on temperature, time and mechanical valve switching. Chemical agents are avoided. Trace amounts of interfering compounds can be separated by gas chromatography after pre-concentration of the CH₄ sample. The purified sample is then either combusted to CO₂ or pyrolyzed to H₂ for stable isotope measurement. Apart from connecting samples and refilling liquid nitrogen as coolant the system is fully automated and allows an unobserved, continuous analysis of samples. The analytical system has been used for analysis of air samples with CH₄ mixing ratios between ~100 and ~10 000 ppb, for higher mixing ratios samples usually have to be diluted.

Mitigation of methane emission from Fakse landfill using a biowindow system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scheutz, Charlotte; Fredenslund, Anders Michael; Chanton, Jeffrey

2011-01-01

Landfills are significant sources of atmospheric methane (CH4) that contributes to climate change, and therefore there is a need to reduce CH4 emissions from landfills. A promising cost efficient technology is to integrate compost into landfill covers (so-called “biocovers”) to enhance biological...... of biocover systems. The study also revealed that there still exist several challenges to better optimize the functionality. The most important challenges are to control gas flow and evenly distribute the gas into the biocovers.......Landfills are significant sources of atmospheric methane (CH4) that contributes to climate change, and therefore there is a need to reduce CH4 emissions from landfills. A promising cost efficient technology is to integrate compost into landfill covers (so-called “biocovers”) to enhance biological...

Ion measurements in premixed methane-oxygen flames

KAUST Repository