Rising methane could be a sign that Earth’s climate is part-way through a ‘termination-level transition’

Source: The post is based on the article “Rising methane could be a sign that Earth’s climate is part-way through a ‘termination-level transition”  published in Down To Earth  on 16th August 2023.

What is the News?

Since 2006, the levels of heat-trapping methane in the Earth’s atmosphere have been increasing rapidly. 

Unlike the rise in carbon dioxide, this increase in methane appears to be due to biological sources rather than fossil fuel burning. 

This could be due to natural climate cycles like El Niño, or it might indicate a significant shift in the Earth’s climate.

What is Methane?

Click Here to read

Rise in Methane Levels:

Methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas than CO₂ but it lasts slightly less than a decade in the atmosphere compared with centuries for CO₂.

The rate at which methane is increasing in the atmosphere has accelerated recently.

Methane had risen fast in the 19th and 20th centuries but plateaued by the end of the 1990s.This rise was driven by fossil fuel emissions, especially from gasfields and coal mines.

Then in late 2006, the amount of methane in the air climbed fast.During the 2020s the growth rate has become yet faster, faster even than during the peak of gas industry leaks in the 1980s.

This growth seems to be driven by new emissions from wetlands, especially near the equator.

This is a result of climate change: increasing rainfall has made wetlands wetter and bigger while rising temperatures have boosted plant growth, providing more decomposing matter and so more methane.

What are Climate Terminations?

Climate terminations refer to periods of significant and often rapid climate change that mark the transition between glacial (cold) and interglacial (warmer) periods in Earth’s history. 

These transitions involve substantial shifts in temperature, ice sheet extent, sea level, and other climate-related factors.

During glacial periods, large ice sheets cover extensive areas of the Earth’s surface, and global temperatures are lower. Interglacial periods, on the other hand, are characterized by warmer conditions, with reduced ice coverage and higher sea levels.

Past climate terminations have been identified and numbered using Roman numerals (e.g., Termination I, Termination II), with higher numbers indicating more ancient events.

Methane and Climate Terminations:

Methane spike marked shift in past Climate Terminations.

It is worth noting that the methane levels have surged since 2006.There are also ongoing climate changes driven by human activities, particularly the emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.

This human-induced climate change is leading to shifts in temperature, sea levels, and weather patterns that have significant implications for ecosystems, societies, and economies worldwide.

This may be a signal that a great transition in Earth’s climate has begun.