Methane
Videos
Methane is a chemical compound that has the chemical formula CH4. It is a group-14 hydride, the simplest alkane, and the main constituent of natural gas. The abundance of methane on Earth makes it an
Methane bubbles can be burned on a wet hand without injury.
Global methane budget (2017). Shows natural sources and sinks (green), anthropogenic sources (orange), and mixed natural and anthropogenic sources (hatched orange-green for 'biomass and biofuel burning').
![Abiotic sources of methane[example needed] have been found in more than 20 countries and in several deep ocean regions so far.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Origins_of_Biotic_and_Abiotic_Methane.jpg/500px-Origins_of_Biotic_and_Abiotic_Methane.jpg)
Abiotic sources of methane[example needed] have been found in more than 20 countries and in several deep ocean regions so far.
Testing Australian sheep for exhaled methane production (2001), CSIRO
Methane emissions
Videos
Increasing methane emissions are a major contributor to the rising concentration of greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere, and are responsible for up to one-third of near-term global heating. During
Methane observations from 2005 to 2014 showing the seasonal variations and the difference between northern and southern hemispheres
Image showing thawed permafrost resulting in thermokarst, a source of methane released from permafrost.
An International Energy Agency graphic showing the potential of various emission reduction policies for addressing global methane emissions
Methane emissions for 2017 by region, source category, and latitude