Never since systematic measurements began nearly 40 years ago has the concentration of the potent greenhouse gas methane in the atmosphere increased so much as in 2021.
The World Weather Organization (WMO) in Geneva is puzzled: “The reason for this extraordinary increase is not clear, but appears to be due to both biological and man-made processes,” it reported Wednesday. The concentration of methane in the atmosphere peaked in 2021, as did that of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide – each since the measurements of these greenhouse gases began.
Methane (CH4) is the second largest cause of climate change after carbon dioxide (CO2). It occurs where organic matter is broken down in the absence of air. It is 25 times more harmful to the climate than CO2. However, it lasts much shorter in the atmosphere. In the case of methane, this is more than ten years, and in the case of CO2, a significant amount is still in the atmosphere even after centuries. CO2 contributes about two-thirds to the greenhouse effect, methane more than 16 percent and nitrous oxide about 6.5 percent. All greenhouse gases together have led to an average global warming of 1.1 degrees since the end of the 19th century. In Germany it was 1.6 degrees.
According to WMO estimates, the global average concentration of methane will increase by 18 to 1908 ppb (parts per billion) by 2021. In the previous year, too, the 15 ppb increase was significantly higher than the long-term average. 1908 ppb is 262 percent of the pre-industrial level.
A large part probably comes from wetlands and rice fields, the WMO writes in its annual greenhouse gas bulletin. It is still unclear whether this is a result of climate change, for example because wetlands are becoming wetter and warmer. The warmer, the faster organic matter is broken down, and decomposition in the water without oxygen leads to higher methane emissions. But the WMO also writes, “The dramatic increase may also be due to natural annual variability.”
In the case of carbon dioxide, the increase in concentration from 2020 to 2021 was higher than the average of the previous ten years. The concentration increased by 2.5 to 415.7 ppm (parts per million – parts CO2 per million parts) in 2021. This corresponds to 149 percent of the level before the start of industrialization around 1750. CO2 is produced by, for example, the combustion of coal, oil and gas, cement production and other industrial processes, as well as the destruction of forests.
Depending on the measuring stations and calculation methods, the WMO values deviate slightly from information provided by, for example, the American climate authority NOAA. The WMO forms an average from the measurements of several stations. (saw/sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I’m Ella Sammie, author specializing in the Technology sector. I have been writing for 24 Instatnt News since 2020, and am passionate about staying up to date with the latest developments in this ever-changing industry.
