Methane | Definition, Properties, Uses, & Facts | Britannica

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Sources of methane

Understand the processes of production and emission of methane gas in wetlands1 of 2
Understand the processes of production and emission of methane gas in wetlandsLearn about the emission of methane, a greenhouse gas, by trees in wetland ecosystems.(more)See all videos for this article
Chemical structure of methane2 of 2
Chemical structure of methaneTetrahedral geometry of methane: (A) stick-and-ball model and (B) diagram showing bond angles and distances. (Plain bonds represent bonds in the plane of the image; wedge and dashed bonds represent those directed toward and away from the viewer, respectively.)(more)

In nature, methane is produced by the anaerobic bacterial decomposition of vegetable matter under water (where it is sometimes called marsh gas or swamp gas). Wetlands are the major natural source of methane produced in this way. Other important natural sources of methane include termites (as a result of digestive processes), volcanoes, vents in the ocean floor, and methane hydrate deposits that occur along continental margins and beneath Antarctic ice and Arctic permafrost. Methane also is the chief constituent of natural gas, which contains from 50 to 90 percent methane (depending on the source), and occurs as a component of firedamp (flammable gas) along coal seams.

Grinnell Glacier shrinkage More From Britannica global warming: Methane

The production and combustion of natural gas and coal are the major anthropogenic (human-associated) sources of methane. Activities such as the extraction and processing of natural gas and the destructive distillation of bituminous coal in the manufacture of coal gas and coke-oven gas result in the release of significant amounts of methane into the atmosphere. Other human activities that are associated with methane production include biomass burning, livestock farming, and waste management (where bacteria produce methane as they decompose sludge in waste-treatment facilities and decaying matter in landfills).

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