The growth rate of methane in the atmosphere doubled in 2020, and that has scientists wondering why. Methane breaks down faster than carbon dioxide but methane traps 28 times more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide.
A new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests the culprits are microbes that are found in wetlands, farm fields and in the stomachs of cows. Scientists are worried about a feedback loop. The more methane in the atmosphere, the warmer it is. The warmer it is, the more that the wetlands and farm fields microbes respond by producing more methane and hence, more warming and the cycle accelerates.
At the moment, scientists are at a loss as to how to break the cycle.