C. Özgen Karacan

Oct 31, 2024 | pubs.usgs.gov | C. Özgen Karacan |Robert Field |Maria Olczak |Malgorzata Magdalena Kasprzak

Methane has a short atmospheric lifetime compared to carbon dioxide (CO2), ∼decade versus ∼centuries, but it has a much higher global warming potential (GWP), highlighting how reducing methane emissions can slow the rate of climate change. When considering the contribution of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to current global warming (2010–2019) relative to the industrial revolution (1850–1900) levels, methane contributes 0.5 °C or ∼ a third of the total.