THE MAGICAL WORLD OF METHANE - RUNAWAY TRAIN OF THOUGHT EARTH SCIENCE EDITION!

Methane levels and how we can figure out the answer to timeless question of "he who smelt it?"

We’ve all done it. We’ve all blamed the dog.

But fart jokes aside, studying the levels of methane in earth’s atmosphere is a key metric to understand the impact we as humans are and can have on our environment.

Enter methane and the data that shows us a significant rise in Earth’s atmospheric methane levels in 2006, which is not aligned with human fossil fuel usage¹. Here are the key points:

• Methane Mystery: The unexpected increase in methane is similar to what occurred during Ice Age terminations, but the last event was 12,000 years ago, making this rise puzzling².

• Quaternary Climate: The Quaternary period, including the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs, saw ice ages and significant changes in Earth’s climate and life.

• Ice Age Terminations: These involve three phases and are influenced by Milankovitch cycles, which are Earth’s orbit and axis changes that affect solar energy distribution³.

• Technological Advances: New satellite-based laser systems have improved our ability to detect and manage methane emissions, highlighting the need for better environmental monitoring⁴.

The Newsbreak article emphasizes the importance of understanding this phenomenon and its potential impact on our climate, advocating for continued research and technological innovation.

But there is compelling thought here that the eruption of gases forming inside the earth's crust could erupt outward and affect the atmosphere.

Methane comes in many forms.

Methane emissions come from both natural and human sources. Here are some of the primary sources:

1. Natural Sources:

   • Wetlands: Wetlands, including ponds, lakes, and rivers, are the largest natural source of methane, contributing about 30% of total emissions¹.

   • Termites and Oceans: These are also significant natural sources of methane².

2. Human Sources:

   • Agriculture: This sector contributes about 20% to 40% of total emissions due to livestock, waste management, and rice cultivation³⁴¹². Cattle are a significant contributor, accounting for over 70% of total livestock emissions³.

   • Fossil Fuels: Oil, gas, and coal extraction activities release about 30% of total emissions³¹. This includes oil and gas extraction, pumping, transport of fuels, and coal mining³.

   • Waste Disposal: The decomposition of landfill waste is another significant source of methane³⁴.

Notably, methane is a potent greenhouse gas with 84-86 times higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide³. Therefore, managing these sources is crucial for mitigating climate change.

There are several technologies used to monitor and manage methane emissions:

1. Monitoring Sensors: These sensors can detect, locate, and measure emissions¹. They can be used in various settings, including pipeline construction and compressor stations¹.

2. Data Management Systems: These systems collect, disseminate, and analyze emissions data¹. They can inform efforts such as the Greenhouse Gas Inventory and orphan well remediation programs¹.

3. Advanced Materials: These are used to construct pipelines to prevent leaks¹.

4. Drones: Companies like Baker Hughes and SeekOps use drones to detect and quantify methane emissions². These drones can either visually detect emissions or measure methane in the air they fly through².

5. Satellites and Aeroplanes: These can track methane emissions from a larger scale³.

6. Artificial Intelligence: AI can help analyze the large amount of data collected by these monitoring technologies³.

7. Ground-Based Technologies: There are also ground-based technologies for detecting methane, like those developed by Kuva².

These technologies are part of a broader effort to reduce methane emissions and slow the rate of global warming.

Or we can continue arguing and pointing fingers.

Yes, there have been disagreements among international organizations and environmental groups about the study of methane in the atmosphere and how to address its emissions. Here are a few examples:

1. COP28 Methane Agreement: At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai (COP28), 50 oil and gas companies worldwide pledged to reduce methane leaks to “near zero” by 2030¹. While some environmental nonprofits and intergovernmental organizations, including the Environmental Defense Fund and the International Energy Agency, signed on to track the effort, other environmental groups criticized the agreement as a greenwashing effort¹. More than 300 organizations signed an open letter criticizing the effort¹.

2. Discrepancies in Methane Emission Estimates: There are significant differences between data based on measurement campaigns and scientific studies and the emissions levels reported by official public bodies, such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which rarely uses direct measurements.

3. Conflicting Explanations for Rising Methane Levels: Different research teams have devised viable but conflicting explanations for the increased atmospheric methane levels³. Some groups have published evidence showing that emissions from biogenic sources like wetlands, ruminants, and rice paddies drive the increase³.

These disagreements highlight the complexity of studying methane in the atmosphere and the challenges in reaching a consensus on addressing its emissions. In short, we must start taking this seriously, or we will not like the alternative.

Until the next Runaway Train of Thought

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