skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Review of Methane Mitigation Technologies with Application to Rapid Release of Methane from the Arctic

Journal Article · · Environmental Science and Technology
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es204686w· OSTI ID:1773262

Methane is the most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, with particular influence on near-term climate change. It poses increasing risk in the future from both direct anthropogenic sources and potential rapid release from the Arctic. A range of mitigation (emissions control) technologies have been developed for anthropogenic sources that can be developed for further application, including to Arctic sources. Significant gaps in understanding remain of the mechanisms, magnitude, and likelihood of rapid methane release from the Arctic. Methane may be released by several pathways, including lakes, wetlands, and oceans, and may be either uniform over large areas or concentrated in patches. Across Arctic sources, bubbles originating in the sediment are the most important mechanism for methane to reach the atmosphere. Most known technologies operate on confined gas streams of 0.1% methane or more, and may be applicable to limited Arctic sources where methane is concentrated in pockets. However, some mitigation strategies developed for rice paddies and agricultural soils are promising for Arctic wetlands and thawing permafrost. Other mitigation strategies specific to the Arctic have been proposed but have yet to be studied. Overall in this review, we identify four avenues of research and development that can serve the dual purposes of addressing current methane sources and potential Arctic sources: (1) methane release detection and quantification, (2) mitigation units for small and remote methane streams, (3) mitigation methods for dilute (<1000 ppm) methane streams, and (4) understanding methanotroph and methanogen ecology.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344
OSTI ID:
1773262
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-516713; 543609
Journal Information:
Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 46, Issue 12; ISSN 0013-936X
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (99)

Mitigation of ruminant methane production: current strategies, constraints and future options journal July 2008
The Biochemistry of Methane Oxidation journal June 2007
Factors affecting rumen methanogens and methane mitigation strategies journal April 2009
An assessment of mine methane mitigation and utilisation technologies journal January 2005
Bio-tarp alternative daily cover prototypes for methane oxidation atop open landfill cells journal May 2011
Geochemical and geophysical evidence of methane release over the East Siberian Arctic Shelf journal January 2010
Large methane releases lead to strong aerosol forcing and reduced cloudiness journal January 2011
Biofiltration for Mitigation of Methane Emission from Animal Husbandry journal July 2005
Improved Attribution of Climate Forcing to Emissions journal October 2009
Simultaneously Mitigating Near-Term Climate Change and Improving Human Health and Food Security journal January 2012
Methanotrophic bacteria. journal January 1996
Laser spark ignition: experimental determination of laser-induced breakdown thresholds of combustion gases journal March 2000
Ocean methane hydrates as a slow tipping point in the global carbon cycle journal November 2008
Methane release and coastal environment in the East Siberian Arctic shelf journal June 2007
CLIMATE CHANGE: Permafrost and the Global Carbon Budget journal June 2006
Greenhouse gas growth rates journal November 2004
Barriers to predicting changes in global terrestrial methane fluxes: analyses using CLM4Me, a methane biogeochemistry model integrated in CESM journal January 2011
Methane emissions from western Siberian wetlands: heterogeneity and sensitivity to climate change journal October 2007
Potential feedback of thawing permafrost to the global climate system through methane emission journal October 2007
Global Distribution of Methane Hydrate in Ocean Sediment journal March 2005
Biotic systems to mitigate landfill methane emissions journal February 2008
Magnitude and biophysical regulators of methane emission and consumption in the Australian agricultural, forest, and submerged landscapes: a review journal November 2007
Methane Oxidation in Landfill Cover Soils, is a 10% Default Value Reasonable? journal March 2009
Ocean Salinities Reveal Strong Global Water Cycle Intensification During 1950 to 2000 journal April 2012
Development of Molecular and Solid Catalysts for the Direct Low-Temperature Oxidation of Methane to Methanol journal February 2010
Methane emission and consumption at a North Sea gas seep (Tommeliten area) journal January 2005
On the possible use of geoengineering to moderate specific climate change impacts journal October 2009
Predicted methane emission on the East Siberian shelf journal February 2010
The effect of permafrost thaw on old carbon release and net carbon exchange from tundra journal May 2009
Methane bubbling from Siberian thaw lakes as a positive feedback to climate warming journal September 2006
Carbon Dioxide Capture from Atmospheric Air Using Sodium Hydroxide Spray journal April 2008
Human contribution to more-intense precipitation extremes journal February 2011
Global atmospheric methane: budget, changes and dangers
  • Dlugokencky, Edward J.; Nisbet, Euan G.; Fisher, Rebecca
  • Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol. 369, Issue 1943 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2010.0341
journal May 2011
Gas hydrates: past and future geohazard?
  • Maslin, Mark; Owen, Matthew; Betts, Richard
  • Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol. 368, Issue 1919 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2010.0065
journal May 2010
Increasing Solar Absorption for Photocatalysis with Black Hydrogenated Titanium Dioxide Nanocrystals journal January 2011
Platinum Catalysts for the High-Yield Oxidation of Methane to a Methanol Derivative journal April 1998
Photoelectrocatalytic materials for environmental applications journal January 2009
Dissociation of molecules in intense laser beam journal July 2009
Evaluating the use of electrical resistivity imaging technique for improving CH4 and CO2 emission rate estimations in landfills journal January 2008
On the halocline of the Arctic Ocean journal June 1981
Methane hydrate stability and anthropogenic climate change journal January 2007
Simulation of Arctic Gas Hydrate Dissociation in Response to Climate Change: Basin-Scale Assessment conference February 2011
The contribution of the East Siberian shelf to the modern methane cycle journal June 2009
Bright water: hydrosols, water conservation and climate change journal December 2010
Microbial methane oxidation processes and technologies for mitigation of landfill gas emissions journal July 2009
Partial Oxidation of Methane Over Co-ZSM-5: Tuning the Oxygenate Selectivity by Altering the Preparation Route journal November 2009
Siberian wetlands: Where a sink is a source journal January 2003
Temporal variations in carbon dioxide and methane concentrations under urban conditions journal October 2007
Methane flux to the atmosphere from the Arabian Sea journal November 1991
Thermokarst Lakes as a Source of Atmospheric CH 4 During the Last Deglaciation journal October 2007
Methane oxidation at room temperature and atmospheric pressure activated by light via polytungstate dispersed on titania journal May 1989
Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane: Mechanisms, Bioenergetics, and the Ecology of Associated Microorganisms journal September 2008
Extensive Methane Venting to the Atmosphere from Sediments of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf journal March 2010
Energy and Material Balance of CO 2 Capture from Ambient Air journal November 2007
Life Cycle Assessment of a Natural Gas Combined Cycle Power Generation System report December 2000
Potential distribution of methane hydrates in the world's oceans journal September 1994
Distribution and height of methane bubble plumes on the Cascadia Margin characterized by acoustic imaging: ACOUSTIC IMAGE OF METHANE BUBBLE PLUMES journal June 2003
Escape of methane gas from the seabed along the West Spitsbergen continental margin: ARCTIC METHANE GAS PLUMES journal August 2009
Tropospheric impact of methane emissions from clathrates in the Arctic Region journal October 2012
Investigation on Characteristics of an Innovative Lean Burn Catalytic Combustion Gas Turbine conference October 2009
The Solubility of Methane in Hydrocarbons, Alcohols, Water, and Other Solvents. journal January 1960
Coal mine methane: A review of capture and utilization practices with benefits to mining safety and to greenhouse gas reduction journal May 2011
Assessing Alternatives for Mitigating Net Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Increasing Yields from Rice Production in China Over the Next Twenty Years journal July 2006
Soil organic carbon pools in the northern circumpolar permafrost region: SOIL ORGANIC CARBON POOLS journal June 2009
Rising Arctic Ocean temperatures cause gas hydrate destabilization and ocean acidification: ARCTIC OCEAN GAS HYDRATES journal April 2011
Fate of rising methane bubbles in stratified waters: How much methane reaches the atmosphere? journal January 2006
Methanotrophs: Multifunctional bacteria with promising applications in environmental bioengineering journal May 2010
Adsorption of Methane, Ethane, and Ethylene Gases and Their Binary and Ternary Mixtures and Carbon Dioxide on Activated Carbon at 212-301 K and Pressures to 35 Atmospheres
  • Reich, Ricardo; Ziegler, Waldemar T.; Rogers, Kenneth A.
  • Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Process Design and Development, Vol. 19, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1021/i260075a002
journal July 1980
Efficient formation of stratospheric aerosol for climate engineering by emission of condensible vapor from aircraft: AEROSOL FROM CONDENSIBLE VAPOR journal September 2010
Evaluation of biogas production from different biomass wastes with/without hydrothermal pretreatment journal December 2011
Methane and the greenhouse-gas footprint of natural gas from shale formations: A letter journal April 2011
The distribution of methane on the Siberian Arctic shelves: Implications for the marine methane cycle journal January 2005
Methane Emission from Irrigated and Intensively Managed Rice Fields in Central Luzon (Philippines) journal January 2000
Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of Marcellus shale gas journal July 2011
Methanotrophic bacteria. journal January 1996
Global estimates of hydrate-bound gas in marine sediments: how much is really out there? journal August 2004
Greenhouse gas mitigation in agriculture journal September 2007
New Directions: Atmospheric methane removal as a way to mitigate climate change? journal September 2010
Methane bubbling from northern lakes: present and future contributions to the global methane budget
  • Walter, Katey M.; Smith, Laurence C.; Stuart Chapin, F.
  • Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol. 365, Issue 1856 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2007.2036
journal May 2007
Greenhouse gas abatement strategies for animal husbandry journal February 2006
Oxidation of methane by a biological dicopper centre journal April 2010
A methane bubble curtain in meromictic Sakinaw Lake, British Columbia journal April 2010
Catalytic Oxidation of Methane journal October 1961
Acoustically detected hydrocarbon plumes rising from 2-km depths in Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California journal January 1985
Arctic methane sources: Isotopic evidence for atmospheric inputs: ARCTIC METHANE SOURCES journal November 2011
Hypothesis for increased atmospheric methane input from hydrocarbon seeps on exposed continental shelves during glacial low sea level journal April 2005
Dissolved methane distributions and air-sea flux in the plume of a massive seep field, Coal Oil Point, California journal January 2007
Relations between methane venting, geological structure and seismo-tectonics in the Okhotsk Sea journal June 2004
Landfill-Gas-to-Energy Projects:  Analysis of Net Private and Social Benefits journal October 2005
Global and Arctic climate engineering: numerical model studies journal August 2008
Estimates of the possibility of rapid methane warming 55 Ma ago journal April 2007
Methane emissions from a dairy feedlot during the fall and winter seasons in Northern China journal May 2011
Natural marine seepage blowout: Contribution to atmospheric methane: MARINE SEEP BLOWOUT journal July 2006
Research on global sun block needed now journal January 2010
Modeling sub-sea permafrost in the East Siberian Arctic Shelf: the Dmitry Laptev Strait journal January 2010
Release of CO 2 and CH 4 from small wetland lakes in western Siberia journal January 2007
Rapid Early Development of Circumarctic Peatlands and Atmospheric CH4 and CO2 Variations journal October 2006
Geochemistry of clathrate-derived methane in Arctic ocean waters: CLATHRATE METHANE IN ARCTIC WATERS journal June 2010
Atmospheric methane and global change journal May 2002

Cited By (17)

Negative emissions-Part 1: Research landscape and synthesis text January 2018
Negative emissions-Part 2: Costs, potentials and side effects text January 2018
Effect of temperature on methane dynamics and evaluation of methane oxidation kinetics in shallow Arctic Alaskan lakes journal August 2013
Current systematic carbon-cycle observations and the need for implementing a policy-relevant carbon observing system journal January 2014
Development of a novel methanotrophic process with the helper micro-organism Hyphomicrobium sp. NM3 journal November 2018
Methylotrophs in natural habitats: current insights through metagenomics journal June 2015
Rethinking climate engineering categorization in the context of climate change mitigation and adaptation: Rethinking climate engineering categorization journal October 2013
Emerging investigators series: revisiting greenhouse gas mitigation from conventional activated sludge and anaerobic-based wastewater treatment systems journal January 2018
High CO 2 /CH 4 and C2 Hydrocarbons/CH 4 Selectivity in a Chemically Robust Porous Coordination Polymer journal February 2013
A facile approach to prepare porphyrinic porous aromatic frameworks for small hydrocarbon separation journal January 2014
Microporous rod metal–organic frameworks with diverse Zn/Cd–triazolate ribbons as secondary building units for CO 2 uptake and selective adsorption of hydrocarbons journal January 2017
Negative emissions—Part 1: Research landscape and synthesis journal May 2018
Negative emissions—Part 2: Costs, potentials and side effects journal May 2018
Current systematic carbon-cycle observations and the need for implementing a policy-relevant carbon observing system text January 2014
Negative emissions—Part 3: Innovation and upscaling journal May 2018
A highly porous 4,4-paddlewheel-connected NbO-type metal–organic framework with a large gas-uptake capacity journal January 2013
Ocean Solutions to Address Climate Change and Its Effects on Marine Ecosystems journal October 2018