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Study: COVID Lockdowns Linked to Record Methane Surge
Methane growth doubled to about 40 million tonnes per year from 2020 to 2022 due to reduced hydroxyl radicals from lower nitrogen oxide emissions and wetter wetlands, study finds.
- On Thursday, a Science study found COVID-19 lockdowns cut nitrogen oxides , weakening the atmosphere's self-cleaning chemistry and triggering methane growth from about 20 million to about 40 million tonnes per year in 2020–2022.
- A decline in nitrogen oxides reduced hydroxyl radicals , the atmosphere's main methane sink, explaining roughly 80–83 percent of methane variation from 2020–21 to 2022–23.
- Amid La Niña-driven wet conditions, a team of 41 scientists used NOAA measurements and GOSAT satellite data to model methane trends, attributing the surge to wetlands and inland waters expansion.
- Peng warned that ongoing NOx declines as countries electrify could reaccelerate methane growth, while nearly 160 countries under the Global Methane Pledge must factor these chemistry effects and cut leaks from oil and gas production.
- Scientists caution that uncertainty in hydroxyl radicals measurement could call the study's attribution into question, while rising wetlands and inland waters emissions must inform future mitigation planning.
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Methane surge in 2020 was linked to lower pollution during lockdowns
A change in atmospheric chemistry during the covid pandemic resulted in methane concentrations spiking, raising concerns that cleaning up pollution could have similar knock-on effects in the future
·Baltimore, United States
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A Hidden Atmospheric Shift Let Methane Surge Worldwide
Atmospheric methane rose faster than ever in the early 2020s, driven less by fossil fuels and more by changes in nature itself. Methane levels in Earth’s atmosphere climbed at an unprecedented pace in the early 2020s due to a mix of weaker natural removal and rising emissions from warming wetlands, rivers, lakes, and agricultural land. [...]
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Total News Sources30
Leaning Left4Leaning Right4Center12Last UpdatedBias Distribution60% Center
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources are Center
60% Center
L 20%
C 60%
R 20%
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