Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, has been found to have a cooling effect on the planet, according to a new study by researchers from the University of California and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The study, which was published in the journal Nature Geoscience, found that methane not only traps long-wave energy but also absorbs short-wave energy from the sun. This absorption, however, results in a change in cloud cover that has a slight cooling effect.
Methane has a Cooling Effect on the Planet
Robert Allen, associate professor of earth sciences at the University of California, Riverside, explained that while a blanket creates warmth by preventing heat from escaping, methane creates a cooling effect by reducing the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth’s surface. The study found that the absorption of short-wave energy reduces the amount of water that evaporates, which leads to a decrease in precipitation.
Ryan Kramer, a researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland in Baltimore County, explained that precipitation acts as a heat source, ensuring that the energy balance in the atmosphere is maintained. However, methane’s absorption of short-wave energy gives off heat that the atmosphere no longer needs to get from precipitation.
Methane Reduces Precipitation by 60%
The researchers created computer models to simulate both the long-wave and short-wave effects of methane and found that the absorption of short-wave energy had an unexpected effect on precipitation. The study found that the short-wave absorption of methane reduces precipitation by 60%, which is a significant result. The research team hopes to conduct additional experiments to see how different concentrations of methane would affect the climate.
Although the short-wave radiative effects associated with the present-day methane perturbation remain relatively small, The findings of this study provide new insights into the complex interplay between greenhouse gases and the Earth’s climate. Overall, Methane continues to contribute to global warming, and emission reductions are a vital component of climate change mitigation policy.
