In an unexpected discovery, scientists have discovered that methane not only warms the planet but also cools it. Now scientists are unraveling its dual role in climate change.
Researchers at the University of California at Riverside (UCR) have discovered that methane, a greenhouse gas, not only traps heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, but also creates cooling clouds that offset 30% of the heat. This phenomenon has not yet been taken into account in most climate models. Greenhouse gases such as methane act like a blanket in the atmosphere, trapping long wave energy (heat) from the Earth’s surface and preventing it from escaping into space. This leads to the warming of the planet, writes Phys Org.
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Robert Allen, assistant professor of geology at CSD, explained that the blanket does not generate heat other than electricity. The blanket keeps heat inside by preventing it from dispersing from your body into the air, which is the same concept as greenhouse gases.
Methane captures not only longwave energy, but also solar energy, called shortwave energy. We might expect this to make the Earth warmer, but it actually creates clouds that cool it a bit.
Scientists learned this by studying methane. They also found something they didn’t expect: Methane usually causes more rain, but less rain when it absorbs shortwave energy. Both types of energy – the long wave from the Earth and the short wave from the Sun are subject to release from the atmosphere rather than being stored in the atmosphere. When they leave, the atmosphere needs something to replace them, and this heat is given off by water vapor when it turns into snow, rain or hail.
The weather warms up when it rains or snows. This is because water vapor turns into rain or snow, releasing heat. This helps maintain balance in the air.
But methane makes this process different. It captures solar energy so the air doesn’t need the heat from rain or snow. This also means less water evaporates. Generally, the amount of water evaporated is equal to the amount of precipitation. Therefore, if less water evaporates, there will be less rain or snow.
These findings are important because they help us understand how methane and other greenhouse gases can change the climate. While the solar energy captured by methane can reduce warming and precipitation, it does not completely eliminate these effects.
Scientists have built computer models to see how methane is affecting the Earth. They evaluated both longwave and shortwave effects. Next, the researchers will conduct additional experiments to see how different amounts of methane will affect the climate. Scientists worry about methane because we are producing more and more. It comes from factories, farms, and the places we throw our garbage. As the Arctic warms, much of the frozen land will melt and release even more methane.
Researchers say we need to study this issue more. We can already measure the amount of methane in the air, but we need to know what this means for us. Scientists want to understand all the consequences of methane exposure so they can better predict what will happen in the future.
Previously Focus wrote about an unexpected way to deal with greenhouse gases. The microbiota obtained from the feces of baby kangaroos contributes to the reduction of methane emissions in cows.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.