Methane levels may see 'runaway' rise, scientists warn-A rapid acceleration may have begun...

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/methane-levels-may-see-runaway-rise-scientists-warn-1906484.html

Methane levels may see 'runaway' rise, scientists warn

A rapid acceleration may have begun in levels of a gas far more harmful than CO2

By Michael McCarthy, Environment Editor

Monday, 22 February 2010

Atmospheric levels of methane, the greenhouse gas which is much more powerful than carbon dioxide, have risen significantly for the last three years running, scientists will disclose today – leading to fears that a major global-warming "feedback" is beginning to kick in.

For some time there has been concern that the vast amounts of methane, or "natural gas", locked up in the frozen tundra of the Arctic could be released as the permafrost is melted by global warming. This would give a huge further impetus to climate change, an effect sometimes referred to as "the methane time bomb".

This is because methane (CH4) is even more effective at retaining the Sun's heat in the atmosphere than CO2, the main focus of international climate concern for the last two decades. Over a relatively short period, such as 20 years, CH4 has a global warming potential more than 60 times as powerful as CO2, although it decays more quickly.

Now comes the first news that levels of methane in the atmosphere, which began rising in 2007 when an unprecedented heatwave in the Arctic caused a record shrinking of the sea ice, have continued to rise significantly through 2008 and 2009.

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[XemaSab]

1. .

[keopeli]

2. Moooooo....

http://www.earthweek.com/2008/ew080725/ew080725c.html

[keopeli]

3. The kicker is in the last paragraph: the methane may be here because of permafrost melting

Methane in the atmosphere: The recent rise

Many climate scientists think that frozen Arctic tundra, like this at Sermermiut in Greenland, is a ticking time bomb in terms of global warming, because it holds vast amounts of methane, an immensely potent greenhouse gas. Over thousands of years the methane has accumulated under the ground at northern latitudes all around the world, and has effectively been taken out of circulation by the permafrost acting as an impermeable lid. But as the permafrost begins to melt in rising temperatures, the lid may open – with potentially catastrophic results.

[NickB79]

4. But think of how beautiful green skies will look at sunset!

You doomers never write about the POSITIVE effects of all that extra methane!