New study reports that Greenland is a methane sink rather than a source
phys.org
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have concluded that the methane uptake in dry landscapes exceeds methane emissions from wet areas across the ice-free part of Greenland. The results of the new study contribute important knowledge to climate models. The researchers are now investigating whether the same finding applies to other polar regions.

Greenland absorbs more of the greenhouse gas methane than it emits, according to a new study from the University of Copenhagen released Wednesday.

“On average and since 2000, dry landscapes of the ice-free part of Greenland have consumed more than 65,000 tons of methane annually from the atmosphere, while 9,000 tons of methane have been released annually from its wet areas,” the university said in a statement.

The findings, which were published in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment, are encouraging because methane, the second-biggest contributor to global warming after CO2, is particularly harmful to the environment.