Climate Change - Methane

This page presents notes on scientific published articles related to Methane.

Article: "Super ENSO and Global Climate Oscillations at Millenial Time Scales." Since last glacial maximum, 22,000 years ago, sea surface temperatures of tropical Pacific ocean have warmed about 2 degrees Celcius (summer) and 3 degrees (winter). Variability of tropical Pacific temperature over past glacial period (22,000 years ago to 64,000 years ago) average 1-2 degrees celcius. In western tropical Pacific, ocean was saltier through much of past 70,000 years than today. Millennial-scale El Nino-like conditions may have shifted atmospheric convection away from west tropical Pacific, explaining lower atmospheric carbon dioxide, N2O, and methane during stadial periods. Source: Science, Volume 297, Number 5579. Date: 2002 July 12

Article: "Ice Record of Carbon Isotope 13 for Atmospheric Methane Across the Younger Dryas-Preboreal Transition." Methane isotope 13 in atmosphere was about one percent higher over Greenland 11,400 to 12,200 years ago than in modern atmosphere. Source likely tropical wetlands or aerobic plant methane production. Source: Science, Volume 313, Number 5790. Date: 2006 August 25

Article: "Methane bubbling from Siberian thaw lakes as a positive feedback to climate warming." As Siberian thaw lakes continue to expand, methane emissions increase, a feedback to climate warming. Source: Nature, Volume 443, Number 7107. Date: 2006 September 7

Article: "Contribution of anthropogenic and natural sources to atmospheric methane variability." Atmospheric concentration of methane has nearly tripled since pre-industrial times. Growth rate declined since early 1990s, constant since 1999. Decrease in atmospheric methane growth during 1990s caused by decline in anthropogenic emissions. Since 1999, anthropogenic emissions rising again, though wetlands coincidentally decreasing. Source: Nature, Volume 443, Number 7110. Date: 2006 September 28

Article: "Rapid Early Development of Circumarctic Peatlands and Atmospheric Methane and Carbon Dioxide Variations." Development of current circumarctic peatlands began 16,500 years ago, expanded rapidly 8-12,000 years ago during high summer insolation and increasing temperature. Peatland development contributed to sustained peak of methane at 650 parts per billion for 1500 years. Decline in peatland initiation follows decline in atmospheric methane and carbon dioxide from 10,000 years ago to 6000 years ago. Decline in peatland initiation from 6000 years ago to 1700 A.D. does not follow rise in methane and carbon dioxide, so must have some other non-manmade source. Source: Science, Volume 314, Number 5796. Date: 2006 October 13

Return to Ken P's Climate Change web site.

Last updated: 2010 Apr 8.
Global Warming and Climate Change
Copyright (C) 2007-2010 Ken Polsson (email: ken@kpolsson.com)
URL: http://kpolsson.com/climate)