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Methane (US: / ˈ m ɛ θ eɪ n / METH-ayn, UK: / ˈ m iː θ eɪ n / MEE-thayn) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula CH 4 (one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms). It is a group-14 hydride, the simplest alkane, and the main constituent of natural gas.
Methane's GWP 20 of 85 means that a ton of CH 4 emitted into the atmosphere creates approximately 85 times the atmospheric warming as a ton of CO 2 over a period of 20 years. [23] On a 100-year timescale, methane's GWP 100 is in the range of 28–34. Methane emissions are important as reducing them can buy time to tackle carbon emissions. [24] [25]
With concentrations of atmospheric methane increasing twice as fast as carbon dioxide since 1750, methane is the second most impactful greenhouse gas. [2] [3] Efforts taken to reduce the amount of methane in the atmosphere are required to reduce the effects of global climate change. Worldwide methane emissions from agriculture in 2019.
Methane in the atmosphere is a far more potent greenhouse gas, with each molecule having twenty-five times the effect of a molecule of carbon dioxide. Methane itself however accounts for less composition of the atmosphere than does carbon dioxide. Landfills are the third-largest source of methane in the US. [2]
Methane (CH 4) concentrations in the atmosphere measured by the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (AGAGE) in the lower atmosphere (troposphere) at stations around the world. Values are given as pollution free monthly mean mole fractions in parts-per-billion. [1] Atmospheric methane is the methane present in Earth's atmosphere. [2]
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 13 February 2025. Gas in an atmosphere with certain absorption characteristics This article is about the physical properties of greenhouse gases. For how human activities are adding to greenhouse gases, see Greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gases trap some of the heat that results when sunlight heats ...
Methane is part of a homologous series known as the alkanes, which contain single bonds only. In organic chemistry , a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon .
Additional methane is produced by the anaerobic decay of organic material and is produced in organisms' digestive tracts, soil, etc. Natural methane production accounts 10-30% of global methane sources. [12] Anthropogenic methane is produced in various ways, e.g. by raising cattle or through the decay of trash in landfills.