Via Eurekalert:
Measuring methane
Researchers develop technique to measure methane gas from cattle
MADISON, WI, MARCH 1, 2011 – Methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas. Wetlands, gas hydrates, permafrost, termites, oceans, freshwater bodies, non-wetland soils, are all natural sources of atmospheric methane; however, the majority of methane presence ca n be accredited to human-related activities. These activities include: such as fossil fuel production, biomass burning, waste management and animal husbandry. The release of methane into the atmosphere by cattle and other large grazing mammals is estimated to account for 12 to 17% of the total global methane release.
Recently, scientists developed a methane release measuring technique as way of tracking the discharge of the gas without disrupting the regular management of the herd. This is part of a collaborative research study conducted by researchers from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Lethbridge Research Centre, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, and the University of Melbourne in Australia.
Cattle were fitted with global positioning devices to track their movements and wind speed and direction were constantly measured. Unlike previous studies in which a few cattle were handled daily and methane measurements were taken directly, this technique centered on using open-path lasers to obtain a short-term measurement of methane release from an entire grazing herd. For instance in one study, the technique was used to take repeated measurements of methane concentration every 10 minutes directly above the height of the 18 cattle in the paddock. According to the results, the technique developed so well it can account for 77% of methane release at a single point in a paddock.
Sean McGinn, the author of the study describes the technique as a “significant advancement in assessing greenhouse gas emissions from the cattle industry.”
Collaborative research is continuing to further measure methane release from other agricultural sources. The full study is published in the January/February 2011 issue of the Journal of Environmental Quality.
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“”””” MADISON, WI, MARCH 1, 2011 – Methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas. “””””
Please define ” extremely potent ” Other greenhouse gases have infra-red absoption spectra, and other characteristics; I don’t remember if any of them also have extremely potentness as well. Can you elaborate please.
So let’s all eliminate domesticated animals; all of them, cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, tastes like chickens, cats, dogs, guinea pigs, whatever, and we’ll all go back to eating grass and other tasty plants and weeds.
Guess WHO will be emitting the METHANE then .
I think their real problem is protein as evidenced by Michele Obama’s new dietary regulations for the government schools. So low as to produce brain damage in growing children.
But that makes them easier to control.
And remember too that most of these either are sixties radicals or those taught by them. And that those people are strongly influenced via New Age teachings by Hinduism.
North American megafauna were more numerous than cattle are today.
As if the fabled tens of millions of pre-Columbian buffalo were too naturally fastidious to fart.
Alan Wilkinson says:
March 2, 2011 at 12:27 am
Water in the atmosphere doesn’t necessarily trump methane absorption since at high altitudes where it is dry methane could still have an impact.
High altitude CH4 is broken down by reactions with OH (exponentially with altitude above 14km – virtually none left by 60km) so the small amount of 7-8um energy that manages to get past everything else to those heights is pretty much home free.
Vince Causey says: March 2, 2011 at 6:53 am
“I have often heard it said, as in this article, that methane is a potent greenhouse gas (values of around 26 – 30 times co2 potency are usually mentioned) but nowhere is it said why this is.”
My understanding it is because CO2 absorption is relatively saturated at its very much higher atmospheric concentration. On a molecule vs molecule basis CO2 is the stronger greenhouse gas.
Phils Dad, when you say CH4 is broken down, what are the products and why would these not also have a similar greenhouse effect albeit at slightly different frequencies?
CRS, Dr.P.H. says:
March 1, 2011 at 6:31 pm (Edit)
Bah, I’ve been studying ruminant methane production for years & first published on this in 1981 (Proceedings of the International Gas Research Conference, Los Angeles, CA, 9/28/1981). Much ado about nothing.
According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the real culprit is methane from flooded rice-paddy agriculture.
Thank you for the reference.
Can be worse than when the dinosaurs were around; much bigger than cows.
In 21st century there was already one IgNobel for (penguin) shitting.
They are focusing on the wrong group, it should be insects. Scientists say that the insect biomass is nine times greater than the human biomass; therefore the flatulent methane production by insects should far outweigh the combined flatulent methane production by humans and their domesticated animals. Of course, methane loving microbes do limit the amount of actual methane reaching the atmosphere where they say it disappears between 9-12 years.