Reference Terms
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Methane
Methane is a significant and plentiful fuel which is the principal component of natural gas. Burning one molecule of methane in the presence of oxygen releases one molecule of CO2 (carbon dioxide) and two molecules of H2O (water). Methane's relative abundance and clean burning process makes it a very attractive fuel. However, because it is a gas and not a liquid or solid, methane is difficult to transport from the areas that produce it to the areas that consume it. Converting methane to forms that are more easily transported, such as LNG (liquefied natural gas) and methanol, is an active area of research. Methane is a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential over 100 years of 23. This means that when averaged over 100 years each kg of CH4 warms the Earth 23 times as much as the same mass of CO2.The Earth's crust contains huge amounts of methane. Large amounts of methane are emitted to the atmosphere through mud volcanoes which are connected with deep geological faults or as the main constituent of biogas formed naturally by anaerobic digestion.
Related Stories
1
2
Earth & Climate News
June 8, 2026
June 8, 2026 South Australia’s koala population has grown so large that it may be heading toward a self-made disaster, with forests struggling to support the animals. Researchers say targeted fertility control could prevent widespread starvation and habitat ...
June 6, 2026 Scientists warn that free-living amoebae may be an underappreciated public health threat, capable of causing deadly infections and shielding other dangerous microbes from water treatment. Climate change and aging infrastructure could help these ...
June 5, 2026 Researchers have shown that controlled fire whirls can clean up oil spills faster and more cleanly than traditional burning methods. The spinning flames consumed up to 95% of the oil, cut soot emissions by 40%, and could help prevent spills from ...
June 5, 2026 Mangroves are famous for trapping vast amounts of carbon, helping slow climate change. However, a new study suggests rising sea levels could eventually reduce that benefit across entire forests. As flooding becomes too extreme, mangroves may die off ...
June 4, 2026 A giant fan-shaped network of hidden basins has been discovered beneath East Antarctica, revealing that several well-known subglacial features are actually part of one massive geological structure. The finding sheds new light on Antarctica’s ...
June 3, 2026 Typhoon Jangmi powered toward southern Japan with heavy rain, strong winds, and a striking appearance from space. Nighttime satellite images revealed a large eye and intricate swirling structures within the storm. As Jangmi intensified, its outer ...
June 3, 2026 One of the most powerful typhoons ever recorded this early in the Pacific season did more than unleash flooding and extreme winds—it sent enormous ripples all the way into the upper atmosphere. As ...
June 3, 2026 Scientists have confirmed that a mysterious Utah earthquake first detected in 1979 really did occur nearly 90 kilometers underground—far deeper than anyone thought earthquakes could happen beneath a continent. By reanalyzing decades of seismic ...
June 2, 2026 A massive global analysis found that nitrogen pollution can either speed up or dramatically slow the natural "breathing" of forest soils, depending on the ecosystem's condition. The results reveal hidden tipping points that could affect how forests ...
June 2, 2026 Scientists are venturing into the Grand Canyon’s hidden cave networks to solve a mystery: how snowmelt travels underground to supply the park’s vital springs. Their discoveries could help protect the canyon’s water from drought, contamination, ...
June 2, 2026 A breakthrough hydrogen-production method could make clean fuel far cheaper and easier to generate. Researchers at the University of Birmingham developed a perovskite-based catalyst that splits water into hydrogen at much lower temperatures than ...
June 1, 2026 Kitchen sponges release microplastics as they wear down during everyday use, with some sponge types shedding far more than others. Researchers estimated that millions of households could collectively release hundreds of tons of microplastics ...
Latest Headlines
updated 12:56 pm ET
June 3, 2026 Researchers discovered a way to reverse the direction of energy flow in turbulence, challenging a theory that has stood for more than 80 years. The finding could open new possibilities for ...
June 1, 2026 A world-famous conservation program that helped save Sweden’s endangered wolverines is now struggling as funding stagnates and local trust erodes. Researchers say the decline offers a cautionary ...
May 31, 2026 Scientists have developed a solar desalination system that turns seawater into drinking water without creating environmentally damaging brine. Special laser-textured metal panels use sunlight to ...
May 31, 2026 A surprising new discovery suggests that tiny microbes living inside fish may be helping shape the chemistry of the world’s oceans. Scientists found evidence that bacteria in the guts of marine ...
May 29, 2026 A new study suggests Antarctica’s ice sheet hit a climate tipping point about one million years ago, making it far more reactive to temperature and CO2 changes. Researchers warn this surprising ...
May 28, 2026 Scientists have solved the mystery of the Seychelles’ vanished crocodiles using DNA from historic museum specimens. The reptiles were not a unique species after all, but an isolated population of ...
May 28, 2026 The Arctic Ocean may have crossed a dangerous tipping point. Scientists say the rapid disappearance of sea ice is triggering a hidden chemical shift that is stripping the ocean of nitrate — a ...
May 28, 2026 A casual walk through an Ithaca cemetery led to the discovery of a gigantic hidden bee population — roughly 5.5 million ground-nesting bees packed beneath the soil. Scientists believe it may be one ...
May 28, 2026 New research suggests Earth’s climate can swing wildly on surprisingly short timescales — even during hot, ice-free greenhouse periods. By ...
May 27, 2026 Humanity may already be living far beyond what Earth can sustainably support, according to a sweeping new study analyzing more than 200 years of population and environmental data. Researchers found ...