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May 16 2025
2A new study published in Nature warns that rising temperatures in the Arctic are fueling a surge in methane emissions from wetlands, accelerating a climate feedback loop that could intensify global warming. This feedback cycle, driven by natural sources, presents a growing challenge to climate mitigation efforts.
"Methane is a very potent greenhouse gas that we need to address urgently," said Dr. Xin (Lindsay) Lan, a climate scientist with the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder. Lan emphasized that a substantial portion of the recent rise in atmospheric methane appears to stem from climate change–induced natural sources. “Our emission reduction efforts need to be more aggressive,” she added.
Although methane is the second most prevalent greenhouse gas emitted by human activity, it is far more potent than carbon dioxide, trapping around 30 times more heat over a century. Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, methane has contributed to about 25% of the planet’s warming.
Dr. Lan, who has spent over a decade monitoring atmospheric methane levels at NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, has observed a notable rise in methane concentrations in recent years. While fossil fuel production still accounts for about 30% of global methane emissions, the team has observed a significant and steady increase in emissions from microbial sources—specifically since 2007.
These microbial emissions are largely produced by archaea, microorganisms that release methane as part of their metabolic processes. They are found in environments such as wetlands, landfills, and the digestive systems of livestock. Currently, microbial sources account for nearly half of global methane emissions. However, pinpointing which exact natural sources are responsible for the recent growth remains a challenge.
To better understand this trend, Lan and her colleagues examined seasonal changes in atmospheric methane over the past 40 years. They discovered a decreasing pattern in methane’s seasonal amplitude—the difference between its annual peak and low concentrations—especially in northern high-latitude regions like the Arctic.
Computer simulations attributed this change primarily to increased methane output from expanding Arctic wetlands. Due to higher precipitation levels, these wetlands have grown by 25% during warmer months. Simultaneously, summer temperatures have caused permafrost—previously frozen ground layers—to thaw, creating moist, oxygen-poor conditions ideal for methane-producing archaea to flourish.
This process intensifies warming, creating a self-reinforcing loop: warming causes more methane emissions, which in turn leads to further warming. Scientists have long cautioned about such feedback loops, but the precise pace and magnitude remain uncertain.
“Our study provides additional indirect evidence that natural methane emissions are already responding to a warming climate,” Lan noted. Her previous research suggests that the current methane surge mirrors those seen during Earth’s most rapid historical warming events, such as the end of past ice ages.
The research team also found a 10% rise in atmospheric hydroxyl (OH) radicals since 1984. These reactive molecules help break down methane but are difficult to measure directly due to their short lifespan. Previously, many scientists assumed OH levels were stable over time, but the findings suggest otherwise.
“Our results indicate that the atmosphere may be removing more methane than we thought, meaning actual emissions are likely higher than past estimates,” Lan explained.
While microbial emissions are the primary driver of recent methane increases, fossil fuel–related emissions remain a significant concern. Lan stressed the importance of cutting all manageable greenhouse gas sources swiftly.
She also warned of the vast carbon reserves locked in permafrost—estimated to be twice the amount currently in the atmosphere. If widespread thawing occurs, it could release massive amounts of carbon, pushing Earth’s climate system past a critical threshold.
Source:https://phys.org/news/2025-05-vicious-methane-emissions-wetlands-exacerbate.html
This is non-financial/medical advice and made using AI so could be wrong.
