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Document Title: Methane research: Florida swamp (DI00060) Photo by Patrick Zimmerman
Description: Surrounded by lush foliage, a scientist measures methane emissions in a Florida swamp. Carbon dioxide is considered the most important of the industrial emissions that produce the enhanced greenhouse effect implicated in global warming. But scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research also study other greenhouse gases, such as methane. Although it is less prevalent than carbon dioxide, methane traps about 25 times more infrared radiation per molecule. Methane is produced by many factors, including termites, which release enough methane to contribute significantly to the total amount in the atmosphere. In recent years, methane levels in the global atmosphere have increased erratically, sometimes by as much as one percent per year. Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and elsewhere are working to understand these increases and the effects they may have on the planet.
Creditline: copyright University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. Photo by Patrick Zimmerman
Keywords: DI00060,climate change,Florida,greenhouse effect,methane,tropics,field research,Patrick Zimmerman
Filename: DI00060.tif