Methane Concentrations Leveling Off

Between 1978 and 1987 atmospheric methane levels increased by more than 1% per year (Figure 8). After 1987 methane continued to increase, but at a slower rate. Now, recent measurements report that the data for year 1998 through 2005 show a rather abrupt hault to the rise in this powerful greenhouse gas. Reasons for this change may be repairs to leaky oil and gas lines and storage facilities and reduced emissions from rice paddies, coal mining and natural gas production. These results suggest that the human intervention may play a strong role in reducing further increase in this greenhouse gas.