Abstract
Fossil-fuel-related emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, have been miscalculated and may be twice as high as previously thought. Researchers say the emissions have been at this high level for the past three decades (Nature 2016, DOI: 10.1038/nature19797). However, the researchers find that total fossil-fuel-related methane emissions, although previously underestimated, remained relatively stable between 1985 and 2013, despite an increase in oil and natural gas drilling and production activities. The study provides another piece in a puzzle of global methane emission sources and emission levels. Methane is the primary component of natural gas and a by-product of oil and coal production and use. It is also released through agricultural practices and decay of organic material. The hydrocarbon has a global warming potential 28 to 36 times that of carbon dioxide over 100 years, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Researchers used a combination of atmospheric measurements and a detailed
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