2023-11-27 18:54:53
MADRID, 27 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
A team of researchers led by the University of Maryland developed a new method to trace methane emissions to their source, a powerful greenhouse gas.
Published earlier this month in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study analyzed the chemical composition of rarer forms of methane, known as isotopic variants. This new approach will help researchers distinguish fossil fuel sources of methane from microbial sources arising from swamps, landfills and farms, a feat that is difficult to achieve with existing methods. that measure the most common isotopes of methane.
“Methane plays an important role in climate change, but there are many unknowns about the reasons behind the recent rise in atmospheric methane,” he said. it’s a statement the study’s lead author, Mojhgan Haghnegahdar, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Geology at the University of Maryland. “Our understanding of how to control and reduce methane emissions into the atmosphere will be fundamental to maintaining our standard of living, as well as to avoid enormous costs for society in the not too distant future.
The research team analyzed air samples collected from several sites on or near the university campus. Using custom-made extraction equipment, researchers also captured methane from an indoor grill burning wood and charcoal, two wetlands, and from samples of compressed air and natural gas. After isolating and purifying the methane, they used a high-resolution mass spectrometer to take a closer look at the chemical composition of the gas.
Their analyzes revealed that microbial methane sources have a distinct signature from fossil fuel sources. The isotopic fingerprint of a particular plume of methane could be used to identify the culprit, helping policymakers trace this greenhouse gas to its source and prioritize their efforts to mitigate it.
“Understanding what drives fluctuations in atmospheric methane carries important implications for how society approaches mitigation of this greenhouse gas,” Haghnegahdar said. “Do we focus mitigation efforts on fossil sources like natural gas leaks or on microbial sources like landfills, agriculture and wetlands?”
Methane is more than 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. However, methane has a shorter life (about 10 years) than the hundreds of years that carbon dioxide can remain in the atmosphere. This makes it a significant target for climate action, according to study co-author James Farquhar.
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