Other Names

CH₄, Marsh Gas

Definition

Methane, a colorless and inflammable gas, is most abundant in the troposphere
Methane is a strong greenhouse gas and an important source of stratospheric water vapor that contributes to global warming. The concentration of methane has doubled since pre-industrial times. The atmospheric mixing ratio of methane is currently about 1.7 parts per million. This increase is attributed to the intensified human activity in the agriculture, biomass burning, and fossil fuel consumption. The atmospheric lifetime of methane is about eight years. It reacts with atmospheric hydroxyl(OH) in the troposphere froming the formaldehyde (HCHO),carbon monoxide(CO) and Ozone (O₃).

Applications

(1) Atmospheric Chemistry Models	(5) Tracer of Air Motions
(2) Air Quality	(6) stratosphere-troposphere exchange
(3) Monitoring of Biomass Burning	(7) Climate Change
(4) Health and Environment

GES DISC Datasets

Quick Search for 'Methane' with Mirador
Click on the corresponding 'WHOM access' links in the table below to access products containing specific parameter.

Parameter	Units	Platform /Instrument	Data
			Begin Date	End Date	WHOM Access	Doc
Methane (CH4) Profiles	vmr	Aura/HIRDLS	2004-07-15	Current	HIRDLS2.003	Y
		UARS/HALOE	1991-10-11	2005-11-21	UARHA2FN	Y
		Aqua/AIRS	2002-08-30	Current	AIRX2SUP.005	Y
					AIRH2SUP.005	Y
					AIRL2.005	Y
					AIRL3.005	Y
Methane (CH4) Column Density	molecules/cm2	Aqua/AIRS	2002-08-30	Current	AIRX2SUP.005	Y
					AIRH2SUP.005	Y
					AIRL2.005	Y
					AIRL3.005	Y
Methane (CH4) Profiles, mixing ratios at different pressure levels (Global Gridded, at equal intervals of latitude/or equal intervals of time)	vmr	Aura/HIRDLS	2004-07-15	Current		Y
		UARS/HALOE	1991-10-11	2005-11-21	UARHA3AT	Y
		UARS/CLAES	1991-10-25	1993-05-05	UARCL3AT	Y
					UARCL3AL	Y
		UARS/ISAMS	1991-09-26	1992-07-29	UARIS3AT	Y
					UARIS3AL	Y

Other sources for data

1. Aura/TES 2. Sciamachy 3. MIPAS