Strong atmospheric chemistry feedback to climate warming
from Arctic methane emissions
Ivar S. A. Isaksen,1,2 Michael Gauss,1,3 Gunnar Myhre,1,2 Katey M. Walter Anthony,4
and Carolyn Ruppel5
Received 13 April 2010; revised 4 November 2010; accepted 4 February 2011; published 20 April 2011.
[1] The magnitude and feedbacks of future methane release from the Arctic region are
unknown. Despite limited documentation of potential future releases associated with
thawing permafrost and degassing methane hydrates, the large potential for future methane
releases calls for improved understanding of the interaction of a changing climate with
processes in the Arctic and chemical feedbacks in the atmosphere. Here we apply a “state
of the art” atmospheric chemistry transport model to show that large emissions of CH4
would likely have an unexpectedly large impact on the chemical composition of the
atmosphere and on radiative forcing (RF). The indirect contribution to RF of additional
methane emission is particularly important. It is shown that if global methane emissions
were to increase by factors of 2.5 and 5.2 above current emissions, the indirect
contributions to RF would be about 250% and 400%, respectively, of the RF that can be
attributed to directly emitted methane alone. Assuming several hypothetical scenarios of
CH4 release associated with permafrost thaw, shallow marine hydrate degassing, and
submarine landslides, we find a strong positive feedback on RF through atmospheric
chemistry. In particular, the impact of CH4 is enhanced through increase of its lifetime,
and of atmospheric abundances of ozone, stratospheric water vapor, and CO2 as a
result of atmospheric chemical processes. Despite uncertainties in emission scenarios,
our results provide a better understanding of the feedbacks in the atmospheric chemistry
that would amplify climate warming.
Citation: Isaksen, I. S. A., M. Gauss, G. Myhre, K. M. Walter Anthony, and C. Ruppel (2011), Strong atmospheric chemistry
feedback to climate warming from Arctic methane emissions, Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 25, GB2002,
doi:10.1029/2010GB003845.
1. Introduction
[2] Methane (CH4) is an important greenhouse gas with a
radiative forcing (RF) of 0.48 Wm−2, due to anthropogenic
activity since preindustrial time [Forster et al., 2007], being
second only to CO2 among the anthropogenic greenhouse
gases. Its distribution and growth are well documented
[Forster et al., 2007; Ramaswamy et al., 2001] showing a
significant increase in atmospheric concentrations since
preindustrial times. Analyses of ice core data for the last
650,000 years show that atmospheric CH4 concentrations
varied from approximately 400 ppb during glacial periods to
approximately 700 ppb during interglacial periods. The tro-
pospheric average concentration is currently about 1,800 ppb,
representing an approximate 2.5 increase since preindustrial
time. The atmospheric concentrations in 2005 correspond to
an atmospheric burden of 4,900 Tg CH4 (1 Tg = 10
12 g).
Observations since 1984, for which there are continuous
measurements, show an increase in atmospheric abundances
of CH4 by about 10%. Growth rates have decreased sig-
nificantly since the early 1990s, but with pronounced
interannual variations [Rigby et al., 2008].
[3] CH4 is a chemically active greenhouse gas, and its
long‐term distribution is affected by changes in both emis-
sions and the atmospheric oxidation rate. Estimates of current
global CH4 emissions are in the range 500 to 600 Tg CH4 yr
−1
[Denman et al., 2007].
[4] Atmospheric CH4 is removed through oxidation by
the hydroxyl radical (OH), mainly in the troposphere:
CH4 þ OH! H2Oþ CH3ðR1Þ
[5] A small fraction is also removed by surface deposition.
In the stratosphere, where water vapor is in the range of only
a few ppm, CH4 oxidation contributes to water vapor
buildup. Since reaction (R1) also represents a significant
1Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
2Center for International Climate and Environmental Research–Oslo,
Oslo, Norway.
3Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Oslo, Norway.
4Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern
Engineering and International Arctic Research, University of Alaska,
Fairbanks, Alaska, USA.
5U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA.
Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.
0886‐6236/11/2010GB003845
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GB2002 1 of 11
loss path for OH, additional CH4 emission will suppress OH
and thereby increase the CH4 lifetime, implying further
increases in atmospheric CH4 concentrations [Isaksen and
Hov, 1987; Prather et al., 2001]. This represents a posi-
tive chemical feedback, with a feedback factor estimated to
be about 1.4 (uncertainty range 1.3 to 1.7) for current
atmospheric conditions [Prather et al., 2001]. The nonlin-
earity in the chemical system could result in a significantly
enhanced feedback factor for large CH4 emissions causing
large perturbations [Isaksen, 1988].
[6] The growth in atmospheric CH4 concentrations, a
result of an imbalance between sources and sinks, observed
over several decades, is reduced markedly during recent
years [Dlugokencky et al., 2003]. For instance, estimates
reported in IPCC AR4 give close to a balance (about 1 Tg
CH4 yr
−1 difference between emissions and loss) for the
time period 2000 to 2005 [Denman et al., 2007], compared
to 33 Tg CH4 yr
−1 during the 1980s. Although there are no
clear indications whether the changes in trends are due to
stabilization in emissions or enhanced atmospheric loss
through increased OH levels [Prather et al., 2001],
Dlugokencky et al. [2003] point to a possible stabilization of
emissions in recent decades. This could be a result of
changes in emissions from anthropogenic sources and from
wetlands [Bousquet et al., 2006]. However, analyses of
atmospheric CH4 changes in 2007 indicate a renewed
growth of CH4 [Rigby et al., 2008].
[7] Increased CH4 emissions affect climate in several
ways: Directly through increased CH4 concentrations and
indirectly through the chemical feedback on CH4 levels and
through production of O3 and stratospheric H2O. Further-
more, CO2 will increase since it is the end product of atmo-
spheric CH4 oxidation. In the current atmosphere the indirect
RF is approximately the same as the direct methane RF,
taking into account the effect on its own lifetime, on ozone,
and on stratospheric water vapor [Forster et al., 2007].
[8] In this study we use a global Chemical Transport
Model (CTM), the Oslo CTM2 [Isaksen et al., 2005; Søvde
et al., 2008], to estimate the impact of additional CH4
emissions on the atmospheric concentrations of the climate
gases CH4, O3, stratospheric H2O, and CO2, and on RF from
these forcing agents. The study covers a wide range of
hypothetical methane emission scenarios, up to about 5 times
the current emission rate. Although there is no evidence
supporting the higher emission in this range, we include
them in order to demonstrate the particularly strong positive
feedback in the chemical system from large methane releases
and the general impact on atmospheric composition and on
climate forcing.
[9] We further consider two potentially important natural
sources of atmospheric CH4 in relation to the adopted sce-
narios: (1) Conversion of organic carbon to CH4, and release
when permafrost thaws; and (2) release of CH4 hydrates in
marine sediments. Earlier studies have demonstrated that
large releases of CH4 from natural sources during warming
events can have significant impacts on atmospheric CH4
levels and may have potential synergistic effects leading to
increased and/or sustained global warming. Observed sur-
face temperatures in recent years show significant warming,
indicating Arctic warming of more than a factor 2 greater
than the global mean value [Hansen et al., 2007]. Perma-
frost thawing could be more extensive than previously
predicted [Camill, 2005; Osterkamp, 2005], with large
potential for methane emission.
[10] Atmospheric CH4 has a global average atmospheric
lifetime of approximately 8 to 10 years [Denman et al.,
2007]. Thus, atmospheric composition changes initiated by
methane emissions from Arctic warming depend critically
on the time horizon of the CH4 releases from thawing per-
mafrost and degassing from marine hydrates (centennial to
millennium timescales).
[11] Our calculations are based on a range of hypothetical
future emission scenarios for CH4. There are currently no
studies that quantify large CH4 emission from permafrost
thawing and destabilization of marine gas hydrates in the
Arctic in a future warmer climate.
2. CH4 Emissions From the Arctic Region
[12] We consider two major sources of CH4 emissions
from the warming Arctic: (1) Methane produced from
microbial degradation of labile organic carbon that becomes
bioavailable as permafrost thaws; and (2) methane released
from gas hydrate deposits as they dissociate in response to
climate warming. Thawing permafrost may also promote
emissions from other methane sources in the Arctic, but the
amount of methane that could potentially be produced by
microbial processes in thawed soils or release of methane
from gas hydrates far exceeds that associated with other
Arctic sources. There is evidence that continuous permafrost
is actively thawing in many circum‐Arctic regions, both
onshore and in the shallow offshore continental shelves
[Rachold et al., 2007].
2.1. Methane and Thawing Permafrost
[13] Thawing of permafrost at a rate of 0.04–0.10 m yr−1
has been observed in some terrestrial upland regions
[Osterkamp, 2005], and it is shown that temperatures have
increased at depths as great as 25 to 30 m below the surface
at some locations in the Arctic during the last two decades
[Isaksen et al., 2007; Osterkamp and Jorgenson, 2006].
Camill [2005] finds that if the current rate of temperature
increase (which is at least twice that of the global mean
temperature increase) continues at his sites in boreal peat-
lands in Arctic Canada, the permafrost will have dis-
appeared by the end of this century. The observations at this
measurement site are consistent with a warming of at least
7–8°C in a high‐CO2‐emission scenario.
[14] Northern soils sequester an estimated 1,672 Pg
(1 Pg = 1e+15 g) of organic C, 88% of which is stored in
perennially frozen ground [Tarnocai et al., 2009]. The
yedoma ice complex within the continuous permafrost in
Northern Siberia is of particular interest for understanding
the interplay among thawing permafrost, organic carbon,
and methane emissions. The yedoma complex consists of
ice‐rich frozen loess and loess‐related sediments that cover
approximately 1 million km2. These sediments have organic
carbon content of approximately 27 kg C/m3 [Walter et al.,
2006] and represent a large reservoir (∼450 Pg C) of labile
organic carbon [Zimov et al., 1997]. An additional 240 Pg C
are sequestered in continuous permafrost in thick fluvial
deltaic deposits. Thawing of this permafrost and particularly
of the yedoma ice complex could produce large CH4
emissions via anaerobic degradation of the labile carbon, as
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demonstrated in laboratory incubations by Zimov et al.
[1997]. In order to have sustained anaerobic conditions in
thermokarsting soils, meltwater needs to be retained in the
yedoma complex.
[15] Thermokarst lakes (lakes that have an underlying
thaw bulb and that are widespread in some parts of the
Arctic) are among the best places to study the potential
release of CH4 during permafrost degradation. Plug and
West [2009] consider thermokarst expansion rates of up to
8 m in a single year. A strong amplification of CH4 emis-
sions from Arctic lakes due to thawing of permafrost has
already been observed in response to ongoing climate
warming. For instance, Walter et al. [2006] described sig-
nificant increases (∼60%) in CH4 emissions from North
Siberian thermokarst lakes between 1974 and 2000, asso-
ciated with a more moderate (15%) increase in lake area
during the same period. Calculations by Walter et al. [2007]
suggest that ∼50 Pg CH4 will be released from Siberian
thermokarst (thaw) lakes as yedoma permafrost thaws over a
timescale of centuries to millennia. CH4 emission from lakes
in other nonyedoma permafrost‐dominated regions in the
Arctic is also expected as thermokarst lakes form and expand
in conjunction with warming and thawing of permafrost.
[16] The remainder of nonyedoma permafrost in the
Arctic contains ∼1,000 Pg C [Tarnocai et al., 2009].
Assuming that 10% of this permafrost will thaw beneath
lakes and 17% of the C in the thawed permafrost will be
converted to CH4, similar to the efficiency of CH4 produc-
tion in yedoma, we estimate that 23 Pg CH4 can be released
from nonyedoma thermokarst lakes. Together, thawing of
yedoma and nonyedoma permafrost could thus release up to
73 Pg CH4 to the atmosphere.
[17] Several studies indicate that high‐latitude wetlands
have CH4 emissions that are sensitive to increased tem-
peratures. For example, northern peatlands that experience
permafrost thaw [Christensen et al., 2004; Wickland et al.,
2006] have enhanced CH4 emissions. Due to uncertainties
associated with future surface moisture and redox regimes,
enhanced wetland emissions are not explicitly included as a
methane source here.
[18] The CH4 emission rate and the magnitude of its
accumulation in the atmosphere strongly depend on the rate
of permafrost thaw. Under current assumptions of warming
in the Arctic, permafrost thaw and CH4 release are likely to
occur over timescales of centuries to millennia. In scenarios
of more enhanced warming of the Arctic than considered in
current climate models [IPCC, 2007] the timescale for CH4
release due to permafrost thawing could be shorter.
Although the current global contribution fromNorth Siberian
thermokarst lake emissions of CH4 are small, Walter et al.
[2006] indicate that these emissions have increased signifi-
cantly (∼60%) between 1974 and 2000.
2.2. Methane Hydrates
[19] Gas hydrates (clathrates) are a solid, ice like form of
mostly methane, which occur beneath and possibly within
[Dallimore and Collett, 1995] onshore permafrost and also
in subsea permafrost that persists in some high‐latitude
regions to water depths as great as ∼90 m. Both permafrost‐
associated gas hydrates and the shallowest part of the
deepwater marine gas hydrate system are susceptible to
dissociation (breakdown to methane and water) under con-
ditions of a warming Arctic climate.
[20] The most recent review of the numerous published
estimates of the amount of methane sequestered in global
gas hydrate deposits converges on a range of 3 to 40 × 1015m3
of methane [Boswell and Collett, 2011], which converts to a
range of ∼1,600 to 21,000 Pg C. This consensus range
brackets some older estimates (3000 Pg C in the work of
Buffett and Archer [2004]) and a recent estimate of 1,000 to
10,000 Pg C by Krey et al. [2009]. Based on the estimates
by Soloviev et al. [1987], Shakhova et al. [2010a] conclude
that one quarter of the Arctic ocean shelf contains 540 Pg
CH4 in gas hydrates. This yields an estimated ∼1,600 Pg C
within gas hydrates associated with subsea permafrost on the
Arctic Ocean continental shelves. It is important to note that
the formerly terrestrial sediments on these very shallow
shelves contain significant additional carbon in nonhydrate
form. Like the carbon trapped in terrestrial permafrost, this
additional carbon is subject to microbial degradation and
CO2 and CH4 production as the subsea permafrost thaws.
[21] In the deep geologic past, CH4 releases from gas
hydrates may have been triggered by, but also possibly
exacerbated, the extreme warming event at ∼55 Ma before
present [Dickens et al., 1995, 1997; Lamarque et al., 2006;
Renssen et al., 2004; Schmidt and Shindell, 2003]. In this
study we estimate a range of potential future methane
emissions from the various Arctic gas hydrate populations:
[22] 1. Subsea Permafrost: There is substantial evidence
that subsea permafrost is undergoing rapid degradation at
high northern latitudes [e.g., Rachold et al., 2007; Shakhova
et al., 2005]. The current rate of subsea permafrost degra-
dation is unknown, and acceleration in this degradation with
recent changes in sea ice cover and thus ocean temperatures
is expected, but not yet fully documented. Still, dissociation
of methane hydrate that is currently capped by or contained
within subsea permafrost is very likely occurring now [e.g.,
Shakhova et al., 2010b] and should increase as warming
affects the ocean‐atmosphere system. Methane released
from these hydrates would be emitted into shallow seas
where relatively little is likely to be oxidized before reaching
the atmosphere. Shakhova et al. [2008] speculate that 50 Pg
CH4 could be released abruptly at any time from gas hydrates
associated with subsea permafrost. Although there is no basis
for estimating the rate of such a release, this value is used as a
worst case scenario for the numerical model studies.
[23] 2. Methane hydrates in terrestrial permafrost near the
top of the gas hydrate stability zone are unlikely to contribute
significantly to the net methane flux from these deposits. A
critical exception may be beneath deep thermokarst thaw
bulbs, where the superposition of climate‐induced surface
warming and possible thaw bulb growth may so perturb
temperatures near the top of the gas hydrate stability zone
that methane hydrate at depths of only a few hundred meters
might be susceptible to dissociation.
[24] 3. Deepwater marine hydrates: Most deepwater gas
hydrates are unlikely to be a major source of atmospheric
methane in climate scenarios that consider less than several
millennia. Dissolution and oxidation are likely to strongly
reduce the amount of methane that reaches the atmosphere
once it is emitted at the seafloor. One exception is gas hydrate
in continental margin sediments at pressure‐temperature
conditions close to the gas hydrate phase boundary. For
ISAKSEN ET AL.: ARCTIC METHANE FEEDBACK GB2002GB2002
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example, contemporary climate warming may be triggering
gas hydrate dissociation and methane emissions along the
West Spitsbergen margin [Westbrook et al., 2009]. In that
case, much of the methane is emitted rapidly and in bubble
streams, meaning that significant amounts could reach the
atmosphere. In other cases, oxidation and dissolution might
be expected to prevent much methane from crossing the
ocean‐atmosphere interface. The numerical model studies
presented here do not include a potential contribution from
this population of potentially degrading gas hydrates.
[25] Submarine landslides associated with gas hydrates
and/or underlying free gas are possible for CH4 release from
marine sediments (e.g., discussion and references in the
work of Archer [2007]). It is assumed that single landslides
can release up to about 5 Pg C as CH4, based on estimates of
past major landslides. This can be regarded as an upper
estimate from single landslides, since a recent estimate
indicates lower release [Paull et al., 2007]. Our models do
not include this as a potential carbon source.
2.3. Model Inputs
[26] Clearly, large uncertainties exist in the amount of
carbon stored in Arctic permafrost as methane hydrates, the
fraction emitted as CH4 from thawing permafrost and the
timing and magnitude of potential emissions from thawing
permafrost and gas hydrates. Combining these with our
limited knowledge of the rate and degree of long‐term
global warming it is clear that our estimates of the impact of
future emissions of CH4 on atmospheric composition and on
climate are also associated with large uncertainties. In order
to demonstrate the potential contribution of high‐latitude
release of CH4 to global warming, several scenarios are
considered here. The scenarios discussed in section 5 are
based on the potential future emissions of CH4 estimated for
the Arctic permafrost region and for CH4 stored in hydrates.
The estimates include (1) sustained emissions over a spec-
ified time horizon from permafrost thawing necessary to
reach a defined level of atmospheric CH4 enhancement and
(2) a hypothetical release of 50 Pg of CH4 from the hydrate
pool as a pulse over a limited period of time (1 year) or as
sustained emissions over several decades. Although the
high‐emission scenarios are unlikely to occur, they are
compatible with the current knowledge of the cumulative
magnitude of CH4 that might be emitted from permafrost
thawing and from CH4 hydrate destabilization.
3. Atmospheric CH4 Oxidation
[27] This section provides a brief description of the
atmospheric chemistry leading to the formation of green-
house gases from CH4 emissions.
[28] CH4 oxidation leads to enhanced formation of ozone
in the troposphere and lower stratosphere through a
sequence of reactions involving NOx compounds. The CH3
resulting from reaction (R1) is oxidized and the reaction
products are photolyzed in the presence of sunlight:
CH3 þ O2 þM! CH3O2 þMðR2Þ
CH3O2 þ NO! CH3Oþ NO2ðR3Þ
CH3Oþ O2 ! CH2Oþ HO2ðR4Þ
CH2Oþ h
 ! COþ H2ðR5Þ
CH2Oþ h
 ! CHOþ HðR6Þ
CH2Oþ OH! H2Oþ CHOðR7Þ
CHOþ O2 ! COþ HO2ðR8Þ
COþ OH! CO2 þ HðR9Þ
Hþ O2 þM! HO2 þMðR10Þ
NOþ HO2 ! NO2 þ OHðR11Þ
NO2 þ h
 ! NOþ O  < 400 nmð ÞðR12Þ
Oþ O2 þM! O3 þMðR13Þ
[29] M is an air molecule (usually N2), participating in a
three‐body reaction, and “hn” represents the solar photon
flux. Through this cycle ozone is efficiently formed in the
presence of NOx, CO and CH4. The end product of the OH
and HO2 formation from CH4 is water vapor. As two H2O
molecules are formed from each CH4 molecule, water
vapor enhancements due to additional CH4 releases can be
important in relative terms in the dry stratosphere. Reaction
(R9) yields CO2, constituting another important product
from CH4 oxidation. The result of the CH4 oxidation chain
is thus the formation of the three greenhouse gases O3,
H2O, and CO2, which comes in addition to the enhance-
ment of CH4 concentrations due to direct emissions.
4. Experimental Setup
4.1. Model Description
[30] We apply the global‐scale Oslo CTM2 model (Oslo
Chemical Transport Model). The model runs with meteo-
rology from the European Centre for Medium Range
Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and uses the Second‐Order
Moments Scheme [Prather, 1986] for advective transport.
Surface emissions are based on the EDGARv3.2 database
[Olivier and Berdowski, 2001] for anthropogenic emissions,
and on the work ofMüller [1992] for natural emissions. CH4
levels are prescribed in the troposphere with latitudinal
distributions based on observations from the ESRL network
[Dlugokencky et al., 2010; Masarie et al., 1991]. The model
has a resolution, which is 2.8 × 2.8 degrees (T42) hori-
zontally and 60 vertical layers in the troposphere and
stratosphere, and has extensive tropospheric and strato-
spheric chemistry which has been validated in model‐model
and model‐measurement inter comparisons of relevance to
CH4 perturbations [Gauss et al., 2006; Isaksen et al., 2005;
ISAKSEN ET AL.: ARCTIC METHANE FEEDBACK GB2002GB2002
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Shindell et al., 2006]. The model is further documented by
Berglen et al. [2004] and Søvde et al. [2008].
4.2. Simulations and Definitions
[31] In the Oslo CTM2 model simulations atmospheric
CH4 levels are fixed. The estimates of corresponding
emissions are made with a forward explicit box model and
described in more detail in section 5. Five simulations are
made with 2003 meteorology. A base case simulation with
present‐day CH4 levels, and 4 perturbation cases with tro-
pospheric CH4 levels multiplied by 2.5 (“2.5 × CH4”), four
(“4 × CH4”), seven (“7 × CH4”), and thirteen (“13 × CH4”).
For chlorine and bromine levels we use values suggested by
WMO [2003] for 2100, as we are considering long‐term
future changes. In each of the simulations the global lifetime
of CH4 is calculated from a mass‐weighted average of loss
through reaction with OH. The base case simulation was
spun up for several model years until a stable chemical
composition was reached in both the troposphere and the
stratosphere. Starting from the resulting chemical fields,
both the base case and the perturbation cases were run for an
additional 4 years to reach a new equilibrium corresponding
to the respective CH4 levels.
[32] In the calculations we have used current atmospheric
water vapor content. Since water vapor is expected to
increase in a future warmer climate the calculations were
repeated for a 40% increase in tropospheric water vapor (but
no other changes). Such perturbations in tropospheric water
vapor are expected to be representative for strongly per-
turbed future climate conditions and key compounds in the
interactive climate‐chemistry system like OH and O3 will be
affected. We found that the calculated tracer and lifetime
perturbations were only slightly affected by this increase
(less than 10% impact).
[33] We define an enhancement factor h to quantify the
effect of CH4 emissions on its own concentration and life-
time. h is given as the ratio of relative change in CH4 burden
over relative change in CH4 emissions, i.e., h = (M2 − M1)/
M1/(e2 − e1)/e1, where M and e represent the global CH4
burden and global CH4 emission at steady state, respec-
tively. Subscript 1 is for the base case, and subscript 2 is for
the perturbation cases. The feedback in atmospheric con-
centration from emissions is positive if h > 1. We define
further the ratio of burden a = M2/M1 and the ratio of CH4
lifetimes as b = t2/t1.
5. Results
5.1. Atmospheric Enhancement of CH4
[34] Estimates of current atmospheric CH4 lifetime are in
the range 8 to 10 years [Shindell et al., 2006]. In the Oslo
CTM2 model the lifetime of CH4 amounts to 9.1 years in the
base case. Table 1 summarizes the main results for the four
perturbation cases. For example, in the 4 × CH4 case we
choose a fourfold increase in atmospheric CH4, i.e., a = 4
(or DM/M1 = 3) in the Oslo CTM2 model calculation and
obtain a new CH4 lifetime of t2 = 14.7 years, giving a
relative increase in lifetime of b = 1.61. The 7 × CH4 case
with a = 7 almost doubles the CH4 lifetime, b = 1.98.
[35] Figure 1 shows b as a function of CH4 increase. The
circles show the increases of CH4 lifetime as represented by
b = t2/t1 for the four different cases of enhancement
modeled by Oslo CTM2. To obtain intermediate values of b
we apply cubic interpolation, which is assumed to approx-
imate the relation between b and a ( = M2/M1) well within
the considered range.
5.2. Calculated Atmospheric Changes in H2O, OH,
and Ozone
[36] Figure 2 shows model calculated changes in zonal‐
mean atmospheric water vapor, OH, and ozone for the 4 ×
CH4, 7 × CH4, and 13 × CH4 cases. Related to the negative
height dependence of CH4 mixing ratio, stratospheric water
vapor increases strongly with height. More CH4 leads to
more stratospheric water vapor, and this increase is also
significant below 30 km where stratospheric water vapor is
radiatively efficient. OH decreases strongly in most of the
troposphere due to increased CH4 oxidation. The strongest
decrease in OH is found in the lower troposphere with
reductions by more than 50% in the three cases. In the
stratosphere, OH increases as a result of enhanced production
from water vapor. The ozone increase is particularly large in
the upper tropical troposphere where the ozone radiative
forcing is strong [Ramaswamy et al., 2001], while in the
lower stratosphere the ozone increase is modest, with regions
where ozone even decreases slightly when CH4 is perturbed.
Table 1. Changes in CH4 Burden Chosen for the 2.5 × CH4, 4 × CH4, 7 × CH4, and 13 × CH4 Cases Addressed by Oslo CTM2 Model
Runs, Along With the Lifetimes t2 as Modeled by Oslo CTM2 and the Increase With Respect to the Base Case Lifetime t1
a
Name of Case DM/M1 Lifetime of CH4 (years), t2 t2/t1 (=b) De in Pg CH4 yr
−1 De/e1 h
2.5 × CH4 1.5 12.4 1.36 0.45 0.8 1.8
4 × CH4 3 14.7 1.61 0.80 1.5 2.0
7 × CH4 6 18.0 1.98 1.37 2.6 2.4
13 × CH4 12 22.6 2.50 2.28 4.2 2.9
100 Tg 0.27 9.7 1.07 0.1 0.2 1.5
200 Tg 0.58 10.4 1.15 0.2 0.4 1.6
Hydrate 10.78b 21.2b 2.34b 50 (1 year only) 93 2.7b
aAlso shown are the emission enhancements required to bring about the chosen enhancements in atmospheric CH4. M1 = 4.9 Pg CH4, e1 = 540 Tg CH4
yr−1, and t1 = 9.1 years refer to CH4 burden, emission and lifetime in the base case. DM and De denote the absolute increases from the base to the
perturbation cases. The enhancement factor h (see text) is a measure of the positive feedback in the chemistry of CH4 and is calculated from the
changes in CH4 lifetime and burden at the new equilibrium. The three last rows show additional cases, which have not been simulated by the Oslo
CTM2 model, but are based on emission estimates assuming thawing of permafrost, and a sudden release of CH4 from marine sediments.
bNumbers apply to peak concentrations reached after 1 year.
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In the upper stratosphere ozone is reduced due to the more
efficient removal by HOx (odd hydrogen) reactions.
5.3. Relating the Chosen CH4 Enhancements
to Emissions and Available Storage
[37] A forward explicit box model is applied to calculate
the evolution of CH4 as function of time assuming different
(sustained) CH4 emission rates. The calculation starts at
present CH4 levels, and at each time step (0.01 years) it uses
the CH4 lifetime that corresponds to the CH4 concentration
calculated by the box model for the current time step. The
relation between CH4 lifetime and concentration calculated
in the Oslo CTM2 simulations (Figure 1) is taken as input to
the box model. The resulting evolution of CH4 is shown in
Figure 3. 96%, 92% and 87% of the chosen increases are
reached after 50 years in the 2.5 × CH4, 4 × CH4 and 7 ×
CH4 cases, respectively, reflecting the increase in lifetime
with increasing emission.
[38] Table 1 also lists the additional CH4 emissions (De)
needed to reach the adopted equilibrium enhancement values
in the different perturbation experiments. These additional
emissions are switched on in the forward explicit box model
from the beginning. The base case level is consistent with an
emission of 540 Tg CH4 yr
−1. Total equilibrium emissions
can thus be obtained by adding 540 Tg CH4 yr
−1 to the
values given in Table 1. However, an important question in
relation to the equilibrium value is the timescale for the
additional emission.
[39] Our highest estimate for thermokarst lakes is a 100 to
200 Tg CH4 yr
−1 emission, which can be sustained for a
Figure 2. Annual and zonal mean relative change in stratospheric water vapor, the hydroxyl radical, and
ozone for 4, 7, and 13 times current CH4 levels. White contour lines indicate zero change.
Figure 1. The increase in CH4 lifetime as a function of the
increase in CH4 burden.
ISAKSEN ET AL.: ARCTIC METHANE FEEDBACK GB2002GB2002
6 of 11
time period of up to 500 years. Such enhanced emissions
would increase the CH4 lifetime by about 7 to 15%, and the
CH4 burden by factors of 1.3 to 1.6 (Table 1).
[40] To illustrate the atmospheric impact on CH4 of large
pulse type releases, we assume a hypothetical case of 50 Pg
CH4 emission, corresponding to CH4 hydrate releases from
the Siberian Arctic shelf (as defined in section 2). The
atmospheric impact for a pulse emission (over 1 year) and
for sustained emissions over several decades, are consid-
ered. Our calculations (Figure 3) show that a 1 year pulse
emission of 50 Pg CH4 would lead to abundances peaking at
about 11 times its current level. Table 1 gives the yearly
emissions needed to give equilibrium abundances in the
atmosphere 2.5 times, 4 times and 7 times current abun-
dances. A total of 50 Pg CH4 can sustain the additional
emissions in the three cases for 111, 62.5, and 36.5 years,
respectively, giving enhancements that are approaching the
equilibrium values.
[41] For the sustained 100 Tg CH4 yr
−1, 200 Tg CH4 yr
−1
and the 1 year 50 Pg CH4 emission cases, the CH4 lifetime
dependence derived from the four explicit Oslo CTM2
simulations (shown in Figure 1) is taken into account in the
calculation of CH4 evolution.
5.4. Atmospheric Enhancement of CO2
[42] CH4 is oxidized to CO2 in the atmosphere, and CO2
decays according to different loss processes. Our calculation
of the evolution of CO2 (shown in Figure 4) from oxidation
of the CH4 released from thawing permafrost or hydrate
storage is based on the formula of IPCC‐AR4 [Forster et
al., 2007], according to which the decay of a pulse of
CO2 with time t is given by
a0 þ
X3
i¼1
ai  exp t=ið Þ
Where a0 = 0.217, a1 = 0.259, a2 = 0.338, a3 = 0.186, t1 =
172.9 years, t2 = 18.51 years, and t3 = 1.186 years. The
pulses at each time step are set equal to the amount that is
oxidized from the additional atmospheric CH4 from per-
mafrost emissions. After 50 years, the CO2 values are 4.4,
7.3, and 11.3 ppm (ppm) for the 2.5 × CH4, 4 × CH4, and 7 ×
CH4 cases, respectively. For comparison with Figure 3,
Figure 4 also includes the CH4 hydrate case for which the
CO2 enhancement peaks at around 10 ppm after 40 to
50 years. It has to be noted that the CO2 shown in Figure 4
does not include directly emitted CO2 from permafrost
thaw. The inclusion of CO2 in these calculations is consistent
with the inclusion of CH4 oxidation to CO2 in the GWP for
CH4 [Boucher et al., 2009].
5.5. Radiative Forcing
[43] Detailed off‐line atmospheric radiative transfer
schemes are used in the calculations of radiative forcing
(RF), from changes in ozone and stratospheric water vapor
(sH2O) [Myhre et al., 2000; Myhre et al., 2007]. For CO2
and CH4, expressions given by Ramaswamy et al. [2001] are
used. The radiative forcing is not related to a particular year
but to the time when the CH4 increase is reached. The 13 ×
Figure 4. Global‐mean mixing ratio of excess CO2 from
additional CH4 oxidation for scenarios 2.5 × CH4 (green),
4 × CH4 (blue), and 7 × CH4 (yellow). Additional scenarios
are indicated, for which Oslo CTM2 simulations where not
performed, but the lifetime dependence of CH4 on its own
concentration is taken into account: 100 Tg CH4 yr
−1 sus-
tained (black), 200 Tg CH4 yr
−1 sustained (red), and
50 Pg CH4 yr
−1 switched off after 1 year (“hydrate” sce-
nario, purple).
Figure 3. Global CH4 burden as function of time for sce-
narios 2.5 × CH4 (green), 4 × CH4 (blue), and 7 × CH4 (yel-
low). Additional scenarios are indicated, for which Oslo
CTM2 simulations where not performed, but the lifetime
dependence of CH4 on its own concentration is taken into
account: 100 Tg(CH4) yr
−1 sustained (black), 200 Tg
(CH4) yr
−1 sustained (red), and a 1 year 50 Pg(CH4) yr
−1
emission scenario (“hydrate” scenario, purple). Horizontal
gray lines denote current global burden (1) and the three
enhanced levels 2.5, 4, and 7.
ISAKSEN ET AL.: ARCTIC METHANE FEEDBACK GB2002GB2002
7 of 11
CH4 case refers to a shorter time horizon (30 years) while
the other cases are based on a 50 year time horizon.
[44] Results are shown in Figure 5 for the 4 × CH4, 7 ×
CH4 and 13 × CH4 cases. Radiative forcings due to CH4 are
listed in Table 2. In the 4 × CH4 case the RF caused by
direct emissions of CH4 and the RF due to the lifetime
increase are comparable and add up to 1.3 Wm−2. The RF of
0.5 Wm−2 from ozone, calculated for the same case, is
probably stronger than the forcing since preindustrial time
[Gauss et al., 2006]. For sH2O we calculate nearly qua-
drupling (0.3 Wm−2) of the current sH2O forcing (0.08
Wm−2) [Myhre et al., 2007]. In the 7 × CH4 and 13 × CH4
cases the indirect CH4 RF clearly dominates the direct one,
due to more pronounced OH changes. The total RF is 2.2,
3.6, and 5.4 Wm−2 for the 4 × CH4, 7 × CH4 and 13 × CH4
cases, respectively.
[45] The importance of CH4 emissions through atmo-
spheric chemistry perturbation is illustrated by a 3.5‐ to
fivefold increase in the total RF compared to the contribu-
tion from direct emissions, increasing in importance with the
increase in CH4 emission. The impact of chemical pertur-
bations by CH4 emission increases is substantially higher
than what is included in the GWP value for CH4 used in
IPCC [Forster et al., 2007], where a twofold increase in RF
was adopted to account for indirect effects at current condi-
tions. The CH4 lifetime feedback represents the most
important contribution among the additional radiative for-
cings due to changes in atmospheric composition, followed
by ozone (in particular tropospheric ozone) and sH2O.
[46] According to our simulations, sustained CH4 emis-
sions of 100 Tg yr−1 to 200 Tg yr−1 due to permafrost
thawing will correspond to a RF of 0.3 to 0.6 Wm−2 in a
new equilibrium (reached after a few decades). Although the
amount of CH4 released to the atmosphere is large, the short
lifetime (8 to 10 years) compared to the time horizon for
Figure 5. Radiative forcing resulting from CH4 increases. Blue bars denote contributions from direct
emissions, and red bars are contributions from CH4 initiated changes in atmospheric composition.
“CH4 indirect” represents the CH4 enhancement that is due to the increase in its lifetime. “CO2 indirect”
relates to the CO2 enhancement due to oxidation of the additional CH4. The lightest colors refer to the 4 ×
CH4, medium light colors to the 7 × CH4 and dark colors to the 13 × CH4 case. The radiative forcing is
not related to a particular year but to the time when the CH4 increase is reached. The 13 × CH4 case refers
to a shorter time horizon (30 years) while the other cases are based on a 50 year time horizon.
Table 2. Radiative Forcing Due to Directly Emitted CH4 (CH4
Direct Forcing), the Lifetime Change of CH4 (CH4 Indirect
Forcing), and the Chemical Enhancements Due to the Feedbacks
in the 4 × CH4, 7 × CH4, and 13 × CH4 Cases
a
Name of Case
CH4
Direct
Forcing
CH4
Indirect
Forcing
Indirect
Forcing FromO3,
strat. H2O
and CO2
4 × CH4 0.6 Wm
−2 0.7 Wm−2 0.9 Wm−2
7 × CH4 0.9 Wm
−2 1.2 Wm−2 1.5 Wm−2
13 × CH4 1.1 Wm
−2 2.1 Wm−2 2.2 Wm−2
100 Tg 0.1 Wm−2 0.1 Wm−2 0.1 Wm−2
200 Tg 0.2 Wm−2 0.2 Wm−2 0.2 Wm−2
aFor the “100 Tg” and “200 Tg” cases (in the table listed in italics) no
Oslo CTM2 calculations have been made. Thus the split into direct and
indirect components of radiative forcing is based on extrapolated values
for b. Contributions to indirect radiative forcing from perturbations of
O3, stratospheric H2O and CO2 are not included in the table.
ISAKSEN ET AL.: ARCTIC METHANE FEEDBACK GB2002GB2002
8 of 11
emission (up to 500 years) means that equilibrium in
atmospheric concentration is reached at an early stage in the
time period. As an illustration of the potential of permafrost
CH4 releases, the increase of the CH4 concentration by a
factor 2.5 compared to current CH4 concentrations would
correspond to an extra emission of 450 Tg CH4 yr
−1 from
permafrost thawing and give a radiative forcing of about
1.5 Wm−2. However, the emission would be over a shorter
time horizon than in the 100 Tg CH4 yr
−1 to 200 Tg CH4 yr
−1
emission cases.
[47] A release of 50 Pg (CH4) from gas hydrates over a
30 year time period could give a RF in excess of 4 Wm−2.
The larger calculated RF, results from the fact that this case
represents a more rapid emission than our 7 × CH4 case.
[48] The release of up to 5 Pg C estimated for single
submarine landslides (see discussion in section 2) can
enhance atmospheric CH4 by nearly 2.5 ppm, and give a RF
slightly larger than 1 Wm−2. This is substantially higher than
the 0.2 Wm−2 (only the direct RF was taken into account)
from a similar CH4 release discussed by Archer [2007]. It
has to be noted, however, that more recent estimates of the
emission from the Storegga Landslide are lower than 5 Pg C
[e.g., Paull et al., 2007], and that there is no evidence that
the CH4 released escaped to the atmosphere after the event.
6. Discussion and Conclusion
[49] Relating the magnitude and timing of CH4 release in
a warming Arctic to the adopted scenarios applied in the
model studies is challenging due to uncertainties associated
with the rate of permafrost warming and thawing, the size
and distribution of the large organic C pool [Tarnocai et al.,
2009] and its fate in microbial decomposition under aerobic
versus anaerobic conditions [Schuur et al., 2008; Walter et
al., 2007], and the size and stability of the hydrate reser-
voir. However, given the magnitude and vulnerability of the
permafrost organic carbon pool and the large permafrost‐
associated CH4 hydrate reservoir, quantification of the
feedbacks associated with the release of CH4 from these
systems is important for climate modeling.
[50] There is a potential for the release of large amounts of
carbon stored in the Arctic to the atmosphere as CH4 fol-
lowing the thawing of permafrost and warming of oceans
[Buffett and Archer, 2004; Schuur et al., 2008; Walter et al.,
2007, 2006]. Considering the positive feedback (increase in
lifetime) and the non linearity in atmospheric chemistry
through amplification of atmospheric CH4 (represented by
the enhancement factor h), we have applied a wide range of
CH4 emission scenarios to explore the impact of such inter-
actions. The impact on methane lifetime does not only apply
to the additionally emitted CH4 but also to background levels
of CH4.
[51] Although the high‐CH4 scenarios applied in this
study are unlikely, they demonstrate the strong CH4 feed-
backs in the climate system, with large amplification of
atmospheric composition changes and RF compared to the
direct RF of CH4 emissions.
[52] The Oslo CTM2 has been thoroughly tested with
respect to OH and CH4 lifetime through model comparisons
and through perturbation studies [Hoor et al., 2009; Shindell
et al., 2006]. These studies show that there are noticeable
differences in model estimates. Another model uncertainty
in the Oslo CTM2 calculations may arise from the use of
today’s meteorology, uncertainties in emissions of other
gases than CH4 (e.g., emissions of NOx and CO), and the
formulation of dry deposition (O3) and wet deposition (NOx)
[Isaksen et al., 2005; Solberg et al., 2008]. Yet, the un-
certainties in the atmospheric chemistry calculations are
likely to be small compared to the uncertainties in the amount
and time horizon for CH4 emission from thawing permafrost
or degassing hydrates.
[53] Since current atmospheric CH4 lifetime ranges
between 8 and 10 years, the RF of CH4 emissions from
permafrost thawing and CH4 hydrate degassing depends
critically on the rate of emissions. Additional studies linking
CH4 emissions to the possibilities for large future warming
in the Arctic are needed.
[54] Although CH4 emissions from permafrost thawing
and hydrate degassing are likely to have a very different
spatiotemporal distribution than anthropogenic emissions,
the impact on climate will be global in the same way as the
impact from CH4 emitted in other regions, when we take
into account the multiyear lifetime of CH4.
[55] Fossil fuel CO2 emissions have increased substan-
tially over the last decade and is now 40% higher than in
1990 [Le Quéré et al., 2009; Myhre et al., 2009]. The
continued increase in greenhouse gas emissions toward the
end of this century has the potential to produce significant
warming at high northern latitudes well beyond what has
been observed during the last decades [Hansen et al., 2007;
IPCC, 2007]. There is a possibility that the Arctic temper-
ature increases could be followed by extensive permafrost
thawing, with enhanced CH4 emission from thermokarst
lakes [Walter et al., 2006], with later release of CH4 from
gas hydrates that would eventually be affected by warming
temperatures. Considering the large, nonlinear atmospheric
chemistry feedbacks discussed here, future CH4 emissions
from permafrost deposits could be a larger concern for cli-
mate warming than previously thought.
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