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The atmospheric cycle of methane
Abstract
The atmospheric distribution of CH 4 is rather uniform zonally and vertically but exhibits a slight gradient with latitude in the troposphere; in the stratosphere it shows a definite decrease with altitude. The average volume mixing ratio in the troposphere is 1.4 ppm which corresponds to a total amount of 4 × 10 15 g of CH 4 present in the atmosphere. Most is of recent biologic origin. C 14 analyses show that no more than 20% is released by fossil sources. The various ecosystems producing CH 4 are discussed and the total annual production is estimated to lie between 5.5 × 10 14 g/yr and 11 × 10 14 g/yr. The corresponding turnover times for atmospheric CH4 range from 4 to 7 yr. The destruction of CH 4 takes place mainly in the troposphere, most probably through the reaction CH 4 + OH ? CH 3 + H 2 O. About 10% of the CH 4 is destroyed in the stratosphere. The CH 4 cycle is strongly coupled to the H 2 and CO cycles and contributes also on the order of 1% to the atmospheric carbon cycle. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1974.tb01952.x
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Cited by
The Global Methane Budget 2000–2017
Saunois, M., Stavert, A. R., Poulter, B., Bousquet, P., Canadell, J. G., Jackson, R. B., Raymond, P. A., Dlugokencky, E. J., Houweling, S., Patra, P. K., et al. (2019) · doi:10.5194/essd-2019-128 · Cited by 2,760
The Global Methane Budget 2000–2017
Saunois, M., Stavert, A. R., Poulter, B., Bousquet, P., Canadell, J. G., Jackson, R. B., Raymond, P. A., Dlugokencky, E. J., Houweling, S., Patra, P. K., et al. (2020) · Earth System Science Data · doi:10.5194/essd-12-1561-2020 · Cited by 2,711
Three decades of global methane sources and sinks
Kirschke, S., Bousquet, P., Ciais, P., Saunois, M., Canadell, J. G., Dlugokencky, E. J., Bergamaschi, P., Bergmann, D., Blake, D. R., Bruhwiler, L., et al. (2013) · Nature Geoscience · doi:10.1038/ngeo1955 · Cited by 2,247
Aselmann, I., & Crutzen, P. J. (1989) · Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry · doi:10.1007/bf00052709 · Cited by 731
Future global warming from atmospheric trace gases
Dickinson, R. E., & Cicerone, R. J. (1986) · Nature · doi:10.1038/319109a0 · Cited by 600
Metadata
- Authors
- EHHALT, D. H.
- Venue
- Tellus
- Publisher
- Stockholm University Press
- Published
- 1974-02
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 1-2
- Pages
- 58-70
- ISSN
- 0040-2826 (ISSN-L)
- 2153-3490
- OpenAlex
- W2055411890
- Cited by
- 349
- References
- 0
- FWCI
- 16.88
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
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