Research led by the National Centre of Earth Observation at the University of Leicester is going to new heights in the atmosphere to get a better handle on methane emitted from wetlands in the Amazon.
Using small aircraft flying in an upward spiral and collecting samples of the air, the team has measured the levels of methane in the atmosphere over the Amazon basin in unprecedented detail.
In the process they’ve shown the value of satellite measurements of methane for the region, paving the way for research that will keep better tabs on the greenhouse gas.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, second only to carbon dioxide in its contribution to global warming.
Atmospheric concentrations of the gas have increased by 150% since the beginning of the industrial era.
But the rise each year is quite variable and we don’t fully understand why.
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Image via Fabrice Marr / Berkeley Lab
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