The original research was published by the American Geophysical Union's Geophysical Review Letters by Matthew Rigby and Ronald Prinn of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In the press release on the findings, the lead authors discuss the role of methane in the atmosphere.
Methane levels have tripled since the Industrial Revolution. This is a potentially dangerous situation given that methane is about 25 times stronger as a greenhouse gas per metric ton of emissions than carbon dioxide. For nearly a decade, the amount of methane in the atmosphere remained relatively stable, but a sudden expansion of the amount of methane happened worldwide almost simultaneously.
One particular theory points to a warm conditions over Siberia during 2007. Globally, the winter of 2006 and 2007 was warmer than average as can be seen in the discussion of the warmest years on record. Almost all of the United States saw above average temperatures for the winter of 2006/2007. The increased warmth in Siberia may have lead to increased bacterial emissions from wetland areas.
A delicate balance exists within our atmosphere that can cleanse the air of excess methane. The hydroxyl free radical will react with methane acting as a methane-breaker. In contrast, methane-makers include cattle, gas and coal industries, rice paddies, and wetlands. The increase in methane may also be a result of a reduction in the hydroxyl free radical.
