Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

New measurement of the rate coefficient for the reaction of OH with methane

Abstract

METHANE is an important greenhouse gas, whose concentration in the troposphere is steadily increasing. To estimate the flux of methane into the atmosphere and its atmospheric lifetime, its rate of removal needs to be accurately determined. The main loss process for atmospheric methane is the reaction with the hydroxyl radical OH. We have measured the rate coefficient for this reaction in carefully controlled experiments and found it to be smaller than currently accepted values. Our results indicate a longer CH4 lifetime (by 25%) and a correspondingly smaller flux (by 100 Tg CH4 yr−1) than previously calculated.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ramanathan, V., Cicerone, R. J., Singh, H. B. & Kiehl, J. T. J. geophys. Res. 90, 5547–5566 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Mitchell, J. F. B. Rev. Geophys. 27, 115–139 (1989).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Steele, L. P. et al. J. atmos. Chem. 5, 125–171 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Khalil, M. A. K. & Rasmussen, R. A. Envir. Sci. Technol. 24, 549–553 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Blake, D. R. & Rowland, F. S. Science 239, 1129–1131 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Cicerone, R. J. & Oremland, R. S. Global biogeochem. Cycles 2, 299–327 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Ravishankara, A. R. Ann. Rev. phys. Chem. 39, 367–394 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Davis, D. D., Fischer, S. & Schiff, R. J. chem. Phys. 61, 2213–2219 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Margitan, J. J., Kaufman, F. & Anderson, J. G. Geophys. Res. Lett. 1, 80–81 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Jeong, K. M. & Kaufman, F. J. phys. Chem. 86, 1808–1815 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Hancock, G. Measurements of Thermal Rate Data in Modern Gas Kinetics: Theory, Experiment and Applications (eds Pilling, M. J. & Smith, I. W. M., Blackwell, Oxford, 1987).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Vaghjiani, G. L. & Ravishankara, A. R. J. phys. Chem. 93, 1948–1959 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Brouard, M., McPherson, M. T. & Pilling, M. J. J. phys. Chem. 93, 4047–4059 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Sworski, T. J. & Hochanadel, C. J. & Ogren, P. J. J. phys. Chem. 84, 129–134 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Tsang, W. & Hampson, R. F. J. phys. chem. Ref. Data 15, 1087–1279 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. DeMore, W. B. et al. NASA JPL Publ. 90–1 1990.

  17. Atkinson, R. et al. J. phys. chem. Ref. Data 18, 881–1097 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Taylor, J. A., Brasseur, G., Zimmerman, P. & Cicerone, R. J. J. geophys. Res. 96, 3013–3044 (1991).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vaghjiani, G., Ravishankara, A. New measurement of the rate coefficient for the reaction of OH with methane. Nature 350, 406–409 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/350406a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/350406a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing