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'Detergent' Hydroxl Molecules May Affect Methane Levels In The Atmosphere (caltech.edu)
An anonymous reader quotes Caltech's announcement about the results of a study funded by NASA and the Department of Energy:
During the early 2000s, environmental scientists studying methane emissions noticed something unexpected: the global concentrations of atmospheric methane -- which had increased for decades, driven by methane emissions from fossil fuels and agriculture -- inexplicably leveled off. The methane levels remained stable for a few years, then started rising again in 2007... New modeling by researchers at Caltech and Harvard University suggests that methane emissions might not have increased dramatically in 2007 after all. Instead, the most likely explanation has less to do with methane emissions and more to do with changes in the availability of the hydroxyl radical, which breaks down methane in the atmosphere... If global levels of hydroxyl decrease, global methane concentrations will increase -- even if methane emissions remain constant, the researchers say...
Tracking decadal trends in both methane and hydroxyl, Christian Frankenberg and his colleagues noted that fluctuations in hydroxyl concentrations correlated strongly with fluctuations in methane... "Think of the atmosphere like a kitchen sink with the faucet running," Frankenberg explains. "When the water level inside the sink rises, that can mean that you've opened up the faucet more. Or it can mean that the drain is blocking up. You have to look at both."
So what's changing the level of hydroxl in the atmosphere? The researchers say they have no idea.
Tracking decadal trends in both methane and hydroxyl, Christian Frankenberg and his colleagues noted that fluctuations in hydroxyl concentrations correlated strongly with fluctuations in methane... "Think of the atmosphere like a kitchen sink with the faucet running," Frankenberg explains. "When the water level inside the sink rises, that can mean that you've opened up the faucet more. Or it can mean that the drain is blocking up. You have to look at both."
So what's changing the level of hydroxl in the atmosphere? The researchers say they have no idea.
and therefore there's no reason to study this.
Why are we wasting tax dollars on these fake news "studies"? These groups are not profitable and only seek to increase regulations that harm businesses and our national economy.
It just makes good business sense to defund these, Mr. President! #MAGA
Finally some scientists that have the guts to say that they don't know why something is happening! Rejoice! These days too many scientific "research" comes with an attached agenda which often leave one speculating about cherry picked data.
The best science comes when you don't know the answer in advance. Hydroxyl concentration model: maybe it's the key to solving our AGW prediction issues. Maybe it won't. But either way it should improve our understanding of the problem.
Full disclosure: I personally feel the whole methane issue is under reported in this whole climate change debate and too much emphasis is on CO2. Especially the methane calthrates under the ocean. Maybe this will improve our understanding of the methane cycle.
Look here, another recently found 'unexpected' (wtf is that, an excuse of sorts?) flaw in the climate models. Makes one wonder what else might be wrong with those.
But the arrogant 'community' of climate alarmists can not be wrong, earth is heating up, and not from the sun but from our doing, and we can still stop it if we act now by donating money to Al Gore's carbon certificates trading fund... And all that based on nothing.
"Trump!!", the new Godwin.