Methane

 Copilot:

I have read the Canada's forest fires have been leaking large amounts of methane into the atmosphere. Is this the case?

Short answer: Canada’s forest fires do emit methane, but the dominant greenhouse gas released is carbon dioxide. Methane emissions occur mainly when deep organic soils (especially peatlands) burn, and these events can release very large methane pulses — but this varies by region and fire type.

Below is a clear breakdown grounded in the information retrieved.

🔥 What the evidence shows about methane from Canadian wildfires

1. Canada’s forests emit multiple greenhouse gases when they burn

Natural Resources Canada confirms that forest fires release CO₂, methane (CH₄), carbon monoxide, and nitrous oxide.

Methane is always produced during combustion, especially when burning is incomplete (smoldering fires, deep organic layers, peat).

2. Methane emissions spike when peatlands burn

Canada holds 25% of the world’s peatlands, which are extremely carbon‑dense.

When peat burns, it releases:

Very large amounts of CO₂

Significant methane, because peat fires burn slowly and oxygen‑poor

This is highlighted in reporting on peatland fires and their climate impact.

3. 2023–2025 wildfire seasons were exceptional

Canada’s 2023 fires released nearly 4× more carbon than global aviation.

While this estimate focuses on CO₂, methane is part of the total greenhouse gas output — especially in northern and peat‑rich regions.

4. Methane is not the majority of emissions, but it is climatically potent

Even if methane is a smaller fraction by mass, it has:

~28–34× the warming power of CO₂ over 100 years

~80× the warming power over 20 years

So even “small” methane releases matter.

🧭 So is Canada “leaking large amounts of methane” from fires?

Yes — in the sense that wildfires (especially peat and smoldering fires) release meaningful methane pulses.  

No — if interpreted as methane being the dominant or primary emission. CO₂ is by far the largest component.

The key nuance:

Forest canopy fires → mostly CO₂

Peatland and deep‑organic‑soil fires → high methane output

Given Canada’s vast peatlands, methane emissions can be substantial during severe fire years.

🧩 Why this matters for Quebec and the boreal region

Since you’re in Quebec, it’s worth noting:

Quebec’s boreal forests include large peat deposits, especially in northern regions.

In extreme fire years, these areas can smolder for weeks or months, producing disproportionately high methane emissions.

If you want, I can break down:

How methane from peat fires is measured

How methane compares to CO₂ in Canada’s national inventory

Whether 2023–2025 fires changed Canada’s net‑sink/net‑source status

Just tell me which angle you want to explore.

Tell me about methane as a greenhoue gas. How long does methane stay in the atmosphere?

Methane is the second‑most important greenhouse gas after CO₂, and although it stays in the atmosphere for a much shorter time, it traps far more heat while it’s there. Its atmospheric lifetime is roughly 7–12 years.

🌍 Methane as a Greenhouse Gas

Methane (CH₄) is a potent, fast‑acting greenhouse gas. Even though it’s present in much smaller quantities than CO₂, it has a much stronger warming effect per molecule.

🔥 Why methane matters

It is the second‑largest contributor to global warming after CO₂.

It traps much more heat per molecule than CO₂:

~80× stronger over 20 years

~28–34× stronger over 100 years

About 60% of methane emissions today come from human activities (energy, agriculture, waste).

⏳ How long methane stays in the atmosphere

Atmospheric lifetime: 7–12 years

NASA: methane has a lifespan of 7–12 years in the atmosphere.

EPA: methane’s atmospheric lifetime is ~12 years.

UNEP: methane is “short‑lived,” lasting about a decade.

This is short compared to CO₂, which can persist for centuries to millennia.

Why methane disappears faster

Methane is removed mainly by:

Chemical reactions with hydroxyl radicals (OH) in the atmosphere

Soil uptake

Stratospheric reactions

But while it lasts only a decade, its intense heat‑trapping power makes it extremely important for near‑term climate change.

🌡️ Climate impact

Even though methane makes up only a small fraction of greenhouse gas mass, it is responsible for ~23% of total radiative forcing since 1750.

This is why methane reductions are considered one of the fastest ways to slow near‑term warming.

                                                                                  

If you want, I can also break down:

Why methane from forest fires and peatlands is especially important

How methane behaves in cold northern climates like Quebec

How methane compares to CO₂ in Canada’s national emissions inventory

Just tell me which angle you want to explore.

So methane traps heat. Does this heat get transferred to oceans?

Absolutely — and this is one of the most important (and often misunderstood) parts of how methane affects the climate system.

🌡️ Yes, methane‑driven warming does end up heating the oceans

Methane doesn’t directly “heat the ocean” by itself. Instead, it warms the atmosphere, and the Earth’s climate system responds by moving most of that excess heat into the oceans.

🔥 Step‑by‑step: what actually happens

1. Methane traps infrared radiation in the atmosphere

Methane absorbs outgoing heat that Earth would normally radiate into space.

This warms the lower atmosphere.

2. A warmer atmosphere warms the ocean surface

The atmosphere and ocean are tightly coupled. When the air warms:

The ocean surface absorbs more heat

Evaporation patterns change

Wind and circulation patterns shift

3. The ocean absorbs ~90% of all excess heat from greenhouse gases

This is the key point.

Even though methane is short‑lived (about a decade), its intense warming effect accelerates the rate at which heat is pushed into the ocean.

4. Deep ocean layers eventually warm too

Heat slowly mixes downward through:

Turbulence

Currents

Downwelling regions (e.g., North Atlantic)

This is why ocean heat content keeps rising even in years when atmospheric warming seems to “pause.”

🌊 Why methane‑driven ocean heating matters

• Sea level rise

Warm water expands — this is responsible for about half of global sea level rise.

• Marine heatwaves

Short‑term methane spikes (from fires, wetlands, leaks) can intensify heatwaves in the upper ocean.

• Ice sheet destabilization

Warmer oceans melt ice shelves from below, especially in Antarctica.

• Long‑term inertia

Once heat enters the ocean, it stays for centuries.

So even though methane lasts only ~10 years, the heat it helps trap can persist in the climate system for far longer.

🧭 A Quebec‑specific angle

Since you’re in Quebec, this ties directly to:

Atlantic circulation changes (AMOC weakening)

Gulf of St. Lawrence warming faster than the global ocean

Shrimp, crab, and cod habitat shifts

Sea‑level rise along the St. Lawrence estuary

Methane‑driven warming contributes to these regional changes indirectly through the global heat budget.

If you want, we can go deeper into:

How methane compares to CO₂ in ocean heat uptake

Whether methane spikes from boreal fires measurably affect ocean heat content

How ocean heat is measured (ARGO floats, satellites, etc.)

Just tell me where you want to take it next.