Global Warming is Speeding Up with Greenhouse Gas Emission Release

Global warming may be happening faster than we once thought. Scientists have found that greenhouse emissions that arise naturally are also affected by increased temperatures.

"Everything indicates that global warming caused by humans leads to increased natural greenhouse gas emissions," said Sivakiruthika Natchimuthu, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Our detailed measurements reveal a clear pattern of greater methane emissions from lakes at higher temperatures."

In this latest study, the researchers examined the emissions of the greenhouse gas, methane, from three lakes. They found that a temperature increase from 15 to 20 degrees Celsius almost doubled the methane level. In other words, warmer temperatures, cause the release of methane, which causes further warming.

"We're not talking about hypotheses anymore," said David Bastviken, one of the researchers, in a news release. "The evidence is growing and the results of the detailed studies are surprisingly clear. The question is no longer if natural emissions will increase but rather how much they will increase with warming."

This, in particular, shows that warming may be faster than expected from anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions alone. This also means that reductions in greenhouse gas emissions may be a double victory. By reducing the effect on warming, and prevent the feedback with increased natural emissions, it may be easier than we expected to bring temperatures back to normal.

The findings are published in the journal Limnology and Oceanography.

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