Role of OH variability in the stalling of the global atmospheric CH4 growth rate from 1999 to 2006

McNorton, Joe; Chipperfield, Martyn P.; Gloor, Manuel; Wilson, Chris; Feng, Wuhu; Hayman, Garry D. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3825-4156; Rigby, Matt; Krummel, Paul B.; O'Doherty, Simon; Prinn, Ronald G.; Weiss, Ray F.; Young, Dickon; Dlugokencky, Ed; Montzka, Steve A.. 2016 Role of OH variability in the stalling of the global atmospheric CH4 growth rate from 1999 to 2006. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 16 (12). 7943-7956. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7943-2016

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Abstract/Summary

The growth in atmospheric methane (CH4) concentrations over the past 2 decades has shown large variability on a timescale of several years. Prior to 1999 the globally averaged CH4 concentration was increasing at a rate of 6.0 ppb yr−1, but during a stagnation period from 1999 to 2006 this growth rate slowed to 0.6 ppb yr−1. From 2007 to 2009 the growth rate again increased to 4.9 ppb yr−1. These changes in growth rate are usually ascribed to variations in CH4 emissions. We have used a 3-D global chemical transport model, driven by meteorological reanalyses and variations in global mean hydroxyl (OH) concentrations derived from CH3CCl3 observations from two independent networks, to investigate these CH4 growth variations. The model shows that between 1999 and 2006 changes in the CH4 atmospheric loss contributed significantly to the suppression in global CH4 concentrations relative to the pre-1999 trend. The largest factor in this is relatively small variations in global mean OH on a timescale of a few years, with minor contributions of atmospheric transport of CH4 to its sink region and of atmospheric temperature. Although changes in emissions may be important during the stagnation period, these results imply a smaller variation is required to explain the observed CH4 trends. The contribution of OH variations to the renewed CH4 growth after 2007 cannot be determined with data currently available.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7943-2016
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Reynard
ISSN:	1680-7316
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
NORA Subject Terms:	Atmospheric Sciences
Date made live:	13 Dec 2016 15:22 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/514016

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