Researchers later discovered that a chemical reaction occurs when desert dust is blown out to sea. “There is iron in the desert dust. This iron, like chlorine from the evaporation of seawater, binds methane thanks to sunlight. The binding of iron and chlorine ensures that the methane is decomposed and is no longer harmful,” explains Stott. .
Only effective over sea
This natural process sounds like good news for the climate. Maurice Middendorp, a meteorologist at Buienradar, agrees. “Methane is a very polluting greenhouse gas, so removing it from the atmosphere would be very welcome.”
According to Middendorp, there are hurdles. “Saharan dust must be blown into the sea, otherwise this process will not occur. In addition, more methane could be removed from the atmosphere if more Saharan dust was transported around the world. We don’t yet have an idea of what the wind pattern will look like in the future. And whether the number of desert storms will increase. In addition, other adverse effects are possible.”
The effect is still not clear
Middendorp is basically wondering how much methane this process breaks down. “One percent methane, or ninety percent, you could say. It makes a big difference in improving the climate.”
Researcher Store says this is a valid comment. “To get a picture of the true effects of climate change, we need to do more research on how much methane is extracted from the atmosphere by this chemical process. But these findings are positive.”
2023-08-16 06:22:59
#Climate #research #Desert #dust #pull #methane #atmosphere
