Abstract
Atmospheric methane removal (e.g. in situ methane oxidation to carbon dioxide) may be needed to offset continued methane release and limit the global warming contribution of this potent greenhouse gas. Because mitigating most anthropogenic emissions of methane is uncertain this century, and sudden methane releases from the Arctic or elsewhere cannot be excluded, technologies for methane removal or oxidation may be required. Carbon dioxide removal has an increasingly well-established research agenda and technological foundation. No similar framework exists for methane removal. We believe that a research agenda for negative methane emissions—‘removal' or atmospheric methane oxidation—is needed. We outline some considerations for such an agenda here, including a proposed Methane Removal Model Intercomparison Project (MR-MIP).This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Rising methane: is warming feeding warming? (part 1)'.
Highlights
The concentration of methane (CH4) in the atmosphere continues to rise
We describe broad classes of technologies for methane removal, including photocatalysts, metal catalysts associated with zeolites and porous polymer networks, biological methane removal, including industrial approaches and approaches for managing soils in agricultural or other ecosystems, and iron-salt aerosol formation
We argue that a better understanding of the climate and air quality benefits of methane removal is needed to enable a more complete cost-benefit analysis of the potential for methane removal
Summary
The concentration (i.e. mole fraction) of methane (CH4) in the atmosphere continues to rise. We describe broad classes of technologies for methane removal, including photocatalysts, metal catalysts associated with zeolites and porous polymer networks, biological methane removal, including industrial approaches and approaches for managing soils in agricultural or other ecosystems, and iron-salt aerosol formation (table 2) For each of these technologies, research is needed on its cost, technological efficiency, scaling and energy requirements, social barriers to deployment, co-benefits and potential negative by-products. (1) Scenarios of different timing and amounts of methane removal; (2) Comparisons of the climate impacts and Earth-system feedbacks of methane removal in different atmospheric and climate scenarios (e.g. low- and high-emission); (3) Spatially explicit simulations of methane removal at prescribed locations and latitudes (requiring models to have an ‘emissions-driven’ methane capability); (4) Studies of how methane’s relatively short lifetime, in conjunction with climate feedbacks on natural methane emissions, influences metrics of cumulative methane removal; (5) Feedbacks with air quality, including tropospheric ozone (O3) concentrations, through. Such an analysis would allow a more direct comparison between various greenhouse gas removal technologies, which could be evaluated using integrated assessment models
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