Atmospheric methane removal: a research agenda

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Climate Science
• Atmospheric Chemistry

Background:

• Methane is a potent greenhouse gas contributing significantly to global warming.
• Mitigating anthropogenic methane emissions faces uncertainties this century.
• Sudden methane releases from sources like the Arctic are a potential threat.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the need for a research agenda on atmospheric methane removal.
• To propose a framework for developing negative methane emissions technologies.
• To address the gap in research compared to carbon dioxide removal.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and synthesis of current challenges in methane management.
• Proposal of a structured research agenda for methane removal.
• Introduction of a Methane Removal Model Intercomparison Project (MR-MIP) concept.

Main Results:

• Current research and technological foundations for methane removal are underdeveloped.
• A systematic approach, akin to carbon dioxide removal, is lacking for methane.
• The proposed MR-MIP aims to facilitate intercomparison of methane removal strategies.

Conclusions:

• Atmospheric methane removal technologies are crucial for climate change mitigation.
• Developing a dedicated research agenda is a necessary step for negative methane emissions.
• International collaboration and modeling efforts, like MR-MIP, are vital for advancing methane removal.