Approaching Steady-State Atmospheric Methane in the Anthropocene

Approaching Steady-State Atmospheric Methane in the Anthropocene

• News
• December 15, 2025

Approaching Steady-State Atmospheric Methane in the Anthropocene
 
The current atmospheric concentration of methane exceeds 2.00 ppm and is increasing faster than at any time since record keeping began in the 1980s. Approximately 40% of the post-industrial revolution global warming (radiative forcing) can be ascribed to methane. Natural gas (methane) and liquified natural gas (LNG) are useful fuels and chemical feedstocks and easily transported via an established infrastructure. The 2024 market value of methane and LNG is projected to be US$117B and grow at least 10% per year. Methane’s savior is its mean atmospheric lifetime, ~10 years, and can provide a near-term opportunity to mitigate global warming. Unfortunately, the atmospheric lifetime of methane appears to be increasing, due to loss of hydroxyl radicals and other species in methane destruction reactions. Human activity contributes to the imbalance between natural sources and sinks. This symposium includes methane sources and sinks, measurement, control, and use technology, climate modeling, regulatory impacts, and market supply and demand.

PACIFICHEM 2025

Methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide on a per-molecule basis, and it is responsible for about 1/3 of the recent increase in Earth's surface temperature. Methane is currently present > 1.9 ppm in Earth’s atmosphere, and its concentration has risen by nearly 20% since direct measurements began in the early 1980s. Annual anthropogenic methane emission was ~330 Mt (million metric tons) with fossil fuel supply chains contributing ~120 Mt methane to the atmosphere each year. Fortunately, methane has a much shorter half-life (~ 10 years) than carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, providing a near-term opportunity to mitigate global warming and climate disruption; the best methane never enters the atmosphere.