TY - JOUR
T1 - Methane and global environmental change
AU - Reay, Dave S.
AU - Smith, Pete
AU - Christensen, Torben R.
AU - James, Rachael H.
AU - Clark, Harry
PY - 2018/10/17
Y1 - 2018/10/17
N2 - Global atmospheric methane concentrations have continued to rise in recent years, having already more than doubled since the Industrial Revolution. Further environmental change, especially climate change, in the twenty-first century has the potential to radically alter global methane fluxes. Importantly, changes in temperature, precipitation, and net primary production may induce positive climate feedback effects in dominant natural methane sources such as wetlands, soils, and aquatic ecosystems. Anthropogenic methane sources may also be impacted, with a risk of enhanced emissions from the energy, agriculture, and waste sectors. Here, we review the global sources of methane, the trends in fluxes by source and sector, and their possible evolution in response to future environmental change. We discuss ongoing uncertainties in flux estimation and projection, and highlight the great potential for multisector methane mitigation as part of wider global climate change policy.
AB - Global atmospheric methane concentrations have continued to rise in recent years, having already more than doubled since the Industrial Revolution. Further environmental change, especially climate change, in the twenty-first century has the potential to radically alter global methane fluxes. Importantly, changes in temperature, precipitation, and net primary production may induce positive climate feedback effects in dominant natural methane sources such as wetlands, soils, and aquatic ecosystems. Anthropogenic methane sources may also be impacted, with a risk of enhanced emissions from the energy, agriculture, and waste sectors. Here, we review the global sources of methane, the trends in fluxes by source and sector, and their possible evolution in response to future environmental change. We discuss ongoing uncertainties in flux estimation and projection, and highlight the great potential for multisector methane mitigation as part of wider global climate change policy.
KW - adaptation
KW - feedbacks
KW - mitigation
KW - Paris Climate Agreement
KW - sinks
KW - sources
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85055324343&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1146/annurev-environ-102017-030154
DO - 10.1146/annurev-environ-102017-030154
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85055324343
SN - 1543-5938
VL - 43
SP - 165
EP - 192
JO - Annual Review of Environment and Resources
JF - Annual Review of Environment and Resources
ER -