• Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
Sunday, February 5, 2023
Flyy News
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Food
  • Politics
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Travel
  • Fashion
  • Lifestyle
  • Home
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Food
  • Politics
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Travel
  • Fashion
  • Lifestyle
No Result
View All Result
Flyy News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

The Grim Origins of an Ominous Methane Surge

flyynews by flyynews
December 14, 2022
in Science
0
The Grim Origins of an Ominous Methane Surge
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


That is, as we polluted less—heavy industry spun down, flights got canceled, people stopped commuting—we also produced less of the pollutant that normally breaks down methane. It’s a second unfortunate and surprising consequence of cutting pollution: Burning fossil fuels also produces aerosols that bounce some of the sun’s energy back into space, somewhat cooling the climate. While it’s imperative that we decarbonize as quickly as possible, cutting out the beneficial effects of NOx and aerosols has some unintended—and twisted—side effects.

“Burning less fossil fuels will cause there to be less OH radicals in the atmosphere, which will cause methane concentrations to go up,” says Earth scientist George Allen of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, who penned an accompanying commentary on the paper but wasn’t involved in the research. “So that’s going to cut back on the effectiveness of measures to fight global warming.” 

This makes it all the more urgent for humanity to take drastic steps to reduce both methane and CO2 emissions, especially considering the alarming degradation of northern lands as the planet warms. The growth of emissions from nature also lends more urgency to the fight to preserve those lands. People are, for instance, draining soggy peatlands and setting them on fire to convert them to farmland, which turns them from carbon sinks into carbon sources. And because the Arctic is warming more than four times faster than the rest of the planet, human development can encroach farther north, churning up carbon sequestered in the soil as people build roads and housing. All of that only exacerbates the problem.

That sort of degradation is blurring the line between human sources of methane and natural ones. “While some sectors are clearly anthropogenic—industry, transportation, landfill, and waste—other ‘natural’ sectors such as polluted waterways and wetlands can be low, moderately, or highly impacted by humans, which in turn can enhance ‘natural’ methane emissions,” says Judith Rosentreter, a senior research fellow at Southern Cross University who studies methane emissions but wasn’t involved in the new research.

Meanwhile, the Arctic region is greening, thanks to new vegetation, which darkens the landscape and further warms the soil. Permafrost—which covers 25 percent of the northern hemisphere’s land surface—is thawing so rapidly that it’s gouging holes in the earth, known as thermokarst, which fill with water and provide the ideal conditions for methane-belching microbes. 

“There’s a lot of organic carbon locked in there—it’s like a frozen compost heap in your own garden,” says Torsten Sachs of the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, who wasn’t involved in the new research. “There is a lot of talk and a lot of speculation and a lot of modeling of how much greenhouse gasses are going to come out of these thawing and warming permafrost areas. But as long as you don’t have any real on-the-ground data, you can’t really prove it.” 

Sachs has been doing exactly that, venturing into the Siberian tundra for months on end to collect data. In a paper he recently published in Nature Climate Change, he found that methane production every June and July has been rising 2 percent per year since 2004. Interestingly, while this corresponds with significantly higher atmospheric temperatures in the region, it doesn’t seem to correspond with permafrost thaw. Instead, the extra methane may come from wetlands sitting on top of permafrost. 

This is the extreme complexity scientists are scrambling to better understand. While the new paper’s modeling can tease apart the methane emitted by humans and nature, on-the-ground data is also necessary to fully understand the dynamics. The ultimate concern is that out-of-control carbon emissions could be initiating climatic feedback loops: We burn fossil fuels, which warms the planet, which thaws permafrost and forms bigger methane-emitting wetlands. That will have serious consequences for the rest of the planet.

Scientists can’t yet say, though, whether we’re already witnessing a feedback loop. This new study focused on 2020, so researchers will need to keep collecting methane data for consecutive years and pinpoint the source of those emissions. But methane emissions were even higher in 2021. “The idea that the warming is feeding the warming is definitely something to be concerned about,” says James France, senior international methane scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund. “That is very difficult to mitigate. So it really reinforces the idea that we have to double down and really focus on mitigation on the areas that we can control.”



Source_link

READ ALSO

Ask Ethan: Do my atoms really “touch” each other? | by Ethan Siegel | Starts With A Bang! | Feb, 2023

‘Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’ release delayed to April 28

Related Posts

Ask Ethan: Do my atoms really “touch” each other? | by Ethan Siegel | Starts With A Bang! | Feb, 2023
Science

Ask Ethan: Do my atoms really “touch” each other? | by Ethan Siegel | Starts With A Bang! | Feb, 2023

February 5, 2023
‘Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’ release delayed to April 28
Science

‘Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’ release delayed to April 28

February 5, 2023
Human Brain Organoids Transplanted Into Rats Respond to Visual Stimuli
Science

Human Brain Organoids Transplanted Into Rats Respond to Visual Stimuli

February 4, 2023
The Climate Crisis Is Threatening Spain’s Saffron Crop
Science

The Climate Crisis Is Threatening Spain’s Saffron Crop

February 4, 2023
Why Lakes Are Important Resources
Science

Why Lakes Are Important Resources

February 4, 2023
Chinese Spy Balloon Has Unexpected Maneuverability
Science

Chinese Spy Balloon Has Unexpected Maneuverability

February 4, 2023
Next Post
Pair Christmas Dinner with These Wines…

Pair Christmas Dinner with These Wines…

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

POPULAR NEWS

Angel -Dave Curl – Official Music Video 2022

Angel -Dave Curl – Official Music Video 2022

November 17, 2022
Proud By Cytonic Rhymes – Official Music 2022

Proud By Cytonic Rhymes – Official Music 2022

November 25, 2022
Sweet Bennie Ray – Whole Lot (Official Music Video)

Sweet Bennie Ray – Whole Lot (Official Music Video)

December 22, 2022
SUPER VITAMIN C COLLECTION | STRIVECTIN

SUPER VITAMIN C COLLECTION | STRIVECTIN

December 16, 2022
Rain And Lily Pond Sounds | 10 Hours | Sleep, Relaxation | Dark Screen

Rain And Lily Pond Sounds | 10 Hours | Sleep, Relaxation | Dark Screen

November 14, 2022

About Us

Welcome to Flyy News The goal of Flyy News is to give you the absolute best news sources for any topic! Our topics are carefully curated and constantly updated as we know the web moves fast so we try to as well.

Follow us

Categories

  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Fashion
  • Food
  • Gaming
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Reviews
  • Science
  • Tech
  • Travel
  • World

Site Links

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Recent News

  • Chaotic cash shortage forces Nigerians to wait hours for $43
  • How to Treat a Cold or Flu With COVID-19
  • TikTok food trends spike demand and stress on workers and supplies
  • January Weekly Meal Plan #5

Copyright © 2022 Flyynews.com | All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Food
  • Politics
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Travel
  • Fashion
  • Lifestyle

Copyright © 2022 Flyynews.com | All Rights Reserved.

What Are Cookies
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT