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Whither methane in the IPCC process?

Nature Climate Change volume 7, pages 678–680 (2017)Cite this article

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An Author Correction to this article was published on 05 February 2018

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In anticipation of the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report we look back at our evolving understanding of atmospheric CH4. Though sources, sinks, and atmospheric burden are now well known, apportionment between the myriad sources and sinks, and forecasting natural emissions, remains a challenge.

Methane (CH4) has been recognized as a climate forcing trace gas with strong anthropogenic components since well before the IPCC process began in the 1980s. It was first identified in the Earth's atmosphere with solar spectral maps of atmospheric column measurements by Migeotte1. The absorption wavelength regions used in its identification (3.4 μm and 7.7 μm), well within Earth's blackbody radiation, should have been an early indication of its role as a heat-trapping gas. There was also early interest in the role of CH4 in the oxidation chemistry of the atmosphere, particularly as a source of carbon monoxide (CO) and a control on hydroxyl (OH) radical concentrations2.

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Figure 1: Assessments of methane.

Change history

  • 05 February 2018

    In the version of this Commentary originally published, it incorrectly stated that in ref. 14 the search for evidence of the rapid release of old stored carbon as CH4 in the Younger Dryas–Preboreal warming was 'inconclusive'; it should have read 'negative'. The timing of the Younger Dryas–Preboreal warming was incorrectly given as '14,000 years ago'; it should have read '11,600 years ago'. Additionally, in the figure legend, 'Geological sinks incl. oceans' should have read 'Geological sources incl. oceans'. These errors have now been corrected in the online versions of the Commentary.

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  1. the Department of Geological Sciences and Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 10 691, Sweden

    Patrick M. Crill & Brett F. Thornton

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Correspondence to Patrick M. Crill.

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Crill, P., Thornton, B. Whither methane in the IPCC process?. Nature Clim Change 7, 678–680 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate3403

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