Methane eating microbes

[Michael MacCracken]

I thought everyone might be interested in seeing this article on methane eating microbes.

Mike MacCracken

[Clive Elsworth]

Thanks Mike

 

Yes, methane consumption by microbes is an ancient biological mechanism, which likely existed among the first life given that methane has been emerging from ocean floor seeps ever since the ocean formed during the Hadean eon over 4 billion years ago. Today they also exist in wetlands where another type of microbe, methanotrophs produce methane.

 

Franz Oeste’s 2017 paper described how methanophiles (that consume methane) are often starved of iron. Thus, methane emissions from wetlands, Earth’s biggest source of methane could be curbed by diffuse application of Iron Salt Aerosol. https://esd.copernicus.org/articles/8/1/2017/

 

However, the atmosphere is a much bigger methane sink, and methane is a smaller warming influence than CO2.

 

Tropospheric ozone also deserves a mention, which has a warming influence almost as high as methane:

https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiOTE5YWI5ODQtNGVlMS00NDMwLTg1ZGYtZjRiMDc3YmI3OTc4IiwidCI6IjZlY2YzYTJkLTE4ZDMtNDdlNi1hYzZiLTFjNTIwMGE3ZjhmOSIsImMiOjh9

 

Clive

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[John Nissen]

Hi Clive,

As chair of AMEG, the Arctic Methane Emergency Group, I took an interest in the formation and destruction of methane.  Several members were advocating the large-scale deployment of diatoms and a nutrient spray over watery areas in the Arctic where there are methanogens.  The diatoms aerate the water by photosynthesis and thereby suppress methanogens which like anoxic conditions.  Furthermore methanotrophs (aka methanophiles) which digest methanogens are promoted.

One of the tipping elements in the Arctic is the permafrost, both on land and below the seabed.  I see that the methane curve has taken an upward turn, which is ominous.  The main risk, as I see it, is that there is a giant outburst of methane at the gigaton level.  

Cheers, John

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[Bhaskar M V]

John and Clive

Just clarifying basics.

Methanogens are Anaerobic bacteria that produce Methane. 

Methanotrophs are Aerobic bacteria that consume Methane. 

So when Anaerobic water is Aerated,

Methanogen growth declines and 

Methanotroph growth increases and Methane production and emissions decrease. 

Regards

Bhaskar

Director

Kadambari Consultants Pvt Ltd

Hyderabad. India

Ph. & WhatsApp : +91 92465 08213

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhaskarmv/

[Clive Elsworth]

Thanks Bhasker – my mistake.

 

Clive

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