Much of early methane rise can be attributed to spreading of northern peatlands
Thursday, January 14, 2010 - 09:14
in Earth & Climate
The surprising increase in methane concentrations millennia ago, identified in continental glacier studies, has puzzled researchers for a long time. According to a strong theory, this would have resulted from the commencement of rice cultivation in East Asia. However, a study by researchers in Finland shows that the massive expanse of the northern peatlands occurred around 5000 years ago, coincident with rising atmospheric methane levels.