Methane and other Greenhouse Gases in the Arctic: Measurements, Process Studies and Modelling (MAMM)
The Arctic is an important source of various greenhouse gases, and particularly methane. This is a short-lived gas which remains in the atmosphere for just nine years, meaning that a reduction in emissions could produce a measurable reduction in atmospheric greenhouse gases very quickly.
MAMM therefore aims to quantify the anthropogenic and natural sources of greenhouse gases – particularly methane – in the Arctic, using data from satellites as well as observations made on the ground and from ships and aircraft.
MAMM
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas present throughout the Arctic and this project is investigating and modelling its sources, its transport and its role in Arctic atmospheric chemistry.
Muonio, Finland
View our interactive mapSome natural sources of methane such as wetlands may exhibit strong positive feedbacks, where warming from greenhouse gas emissions causes even higher emissions. There is also considerable uncertainty surrounding the effect of Arctic Ocean warming on the emission of methane from marine sediments in locations such as the shallow Siberian Seas.
Substantial amounts of submarine permafrost in these areas currently act as methane stores, but warming and permafrost thaw could see this methane released into the atmosphere. Similarly, methane hydrates (crystalline structures occurring in deep-ocean sediments) may release large quantities of methane if the waters overlying them warmed.
It is therefore crucial that Arctic greenhouse gas sources be located and quantified in terms of their capacity, location, temporal variation (seasonal or diurnal) and their vulnerability to change. Feeding MAMM’s findings and results into models of both the atmosphere and of land surface emissions will help place the role of Arctic emissions into larger-scale, global context.
The MAMM team will be using aircraft based in Kiruna, Sweden, which belong to the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements, a collaborative project between NERC and the UK Met Office. They will also be blogging during their fieldwork in mid-August and mid-September at http://arcticmethane.wordpress.com/.
Professor John Pyle FRS, Lead Investigator
Professor John Pyle is the director of the Centre for Atmospheric Science at the University of Cambridge, a joint venture of the university’s departments of Chemistry, Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, and Geography.
His research involves numerical models which are run on supercomputers to study the current state and evolution of our atmosphere. In the troposphere, the lowest part of the atmosphere, its ability to cleanse itself of pollution and changes in this property are important research topics. Further up, in the stratosphere, the depletion of ozone from both polar regions and the relationship of greenhouse gases to this process are being studied.
More recently, the interactions between atmospheric chemistry and climate have become an important focus of Professor Pyle’s research. His research group have contributed a chemistry package to the UK Met Office’s climate model and found that surface ozone may increase to the point of becoming a health hazard in certain areas.
As well as being the Lead Investigator on the MAMM project, Professor Pyle is also a Co-Investigator on one of the projects affiliated to the Arctic Research Programme entitled 'Is the Arctic Methane Budget Changing'.
Professor Pyle is also involved in the Centre for Science and Policy, an organisation which promotes engagement between scientists and policymakers to their mutual benefit.
View other team members
JPL CARVE Project
CARVE (Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment) has been developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to collect detailed measurements of important greenhouse gases.
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Blog: MAMM's second intensive air campaign to start soon
As the ARP's project to investigate and model the sources of methane gas, its transport and its role in Arctic atmospheric chemistry, gets underway, prinicpal investigator Professor John Pyle muses on the latest campaign.
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Blog: MAMM - Arctic methane, what’s the story?
MAMM scientist Dr Michelle Cain explains why our scientists are in the Arctic, what the effect of climate change on the region is and why her project is studying methane emissions.
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Blog: MAMM - Transiting to Kiruna
Dr Jennifer Muller, University of Manchester details her work aboard the FAAM aircraft for the MAMM project.
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Blog: MAMM - Mr Blue Sky
Dr Sam Illingworth, of The University of Manchester, details his work for MAMM, and reveals a love of a classic ELO song.
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Blog: MAMM - And in the blue corner...
Dr Grant Allen, University of Manchester tells us how a converted passenger jet with all the seats ripped out is the perfect platform for scientific research.
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Blog: MAMM - A night in Stordalen wetland, Abisko
Dr Rebecca Fisher, of Royal Holloway University of London, tells us why she's staying up all night in an isolated wetland.
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Blog: MAMM -Methane and Mosquitoes
While most of the MAMM team toil in the heavens above, some of the team face more down-to-earth challenges, ike flies and mosquitoes.
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News: Blog featured in Scientific American and Yahoo! News
MAMM blog featured in major scientific science and news sites.
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Blog: MAMM - Second day of flying
Second day's flying for the MAMM team as they see more methane than during their previous day's flying.
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Blog: MAMM - First full day of flying
The red and the blue team take to the skies.
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Blog: MAMM - First science flight
The update reveals how all of the mission scientist got onto the first flight - and how our scientist on the roadtrip spotted the flight go overhead.
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BLOG: MAMM - Magical scenery over the summer Arctic
Michelle Cain, MAMM scientist provides an update on the latest fieldwork.
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Blog: MAMM - Road Trip Part 1, "In the beginning"
MAMM scientist Dave Lowry is out on a demanding road trip, taking samples and finding his porpoise.
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News: Monitoring Earth's Canary
In a special blog for NERC's Planet Earth Online Dr Sam Illingworth explains why scientists work in the harsh Arctic environment.
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Press release: New website launched for Arctic Research Programme
Arctic Research Programme's new website launched to help explain our science and improve engagement with public, businesses and stakeholders.
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Blog: MAMM - Sunday 19th August flights
MAMM scientist Dr Michelle Cain reflects on the air campaign and a little plane called Sky Arrow
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Blog: MAMM Road Trip Part 2 – Top of the Continent to the Baltic
The second part of the MAMM Lapland air sampling road trip – August 12-17, 2013. Top of the Continent to the Baltic – Saturday Aug 17, 16:00 UT
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Blog: MAMM - Going home...
On the final day of the MAMM operation our scientists look closer to home, sampling methane production from human sources like gas rigs in the North Sea.
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Blog: MAMM - Seeing ghosts; are all methanes the same?
Where our intrepid scientists look for methane and find a spooky icon of the Arctic.
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News: JPI-Climate - Announcement of Opportunity: Russian Arctic and Boreal Systems - Call for pre-proposals
Collaborative proposals involving Russia and two other European partners are invited as part of the European Joint Programme Initiative for Climate.
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News: IASC Medal Award 2014
Reminder - IASC Medal Award 2014 nominations open
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News: Respecting the Arctic, promoting UK interests
New UK report shows that respect for Arctic states, local people and the environment is fundamental to Arctic engagement. It also highlights Arctic Research Programme's importance.
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BLOG: MAMM - To Svalbard and beyond
Professor John Pyle, PI of the MAMM project, talks about one of the research flights north of Svalbard.
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BLOG: MAMM_And so it begins...
Dr Michelle Cain talks about the September 2013 MAMM campaign.
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BLOG: MAMM - Photo diary of first science flight
MAMM Scientist, Dr Michelle Cain, talks about the first September 2013 science flight.
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BLOG: MAMM - Flying in the land of the midnight sun
Ines Heimann from the University of Cambridge talks about her first field trip north of the Arctic Circle as part of the MAMM project.
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NEWS: Mysterious Siberian crater attributed to methane
An article has been published in Nature on a 30-metre wide crater that was spotted by a helicopter pilot flying over an area in the Yamal peninsula in Siberia in July 2014.
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