Full Breakdown
Volcanic Ash and Sunlight Spark Unexpected Methane Removal
5/11/2026, 10:50:01 PM
Eruption and Unexpected Methane Removal
The January 2022 eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai injected ash, seawater and gases into the stratosphere, and satellite images later showed a plume with formaldehyde indicating chlorine from salty ash broke down methane for a week as the cloud reached South America.
Satellite Detection and Research Team
Dr Maarten van Herpen (Acacia Impact Innovation BV) led work with Prof Matthew Johnson (University of Copenhagen), Dr Jos de Laat (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute) and Dr Isabelle De Smedt (Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy). Using ESA’s Sentinel-5P TROPOMI, they retrieved formaldehyde as a proxy for methane oxidation.
Climate Implications
Methane accounts for about one-third of global warming, has a 20-year warming potential 80 times that of CO2, and typically lasts ten years. The observed removal implies volcanic dust must be added to methane-budget estimates, offering a rapid “emergency brake” on warming.
Uncertainties and Future Work
Van Herpen called the formaldehyde detection a verification method. Johnson urged dust inclusion in methane budgets. De Laat called the satellite approach a breakthrough for validation, and De Smedt noted the calibration required for reliable stratospheric measurements.
The study does not quantify methane removed, leaving the magnitude uncertain. Scaling the reaction to engineered solutions raises feasibility, safety and side-effect concerns. Future work will refine TROPOMI retrievals, examine additional plumes and test laboratory simulations to guide technologies that mimic the methane-removing process.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We now know that atmospheric dust -- for example from a volcanic eruption -- impacts the methane budget, meaning the budget of how much methane is added to the atmosphere and how much is removed. Because dust has not previously been taken into account, it is important that we correct the data on which these estimates are based,” — Matthew Johnson, University of Copenhagen
- “It's an obvious idea for industry to try to replicate this natural phenomenon -- but only if it can be proven to be safe and effective.” — Matthew Johnson, University of Copenhagen
- “How do you prove that methane has been removed from the atmosphere? How do you know your method works? It's very difficult. But here we address that problem by showing that methane breakdown can in fact be observed using satellites,” — Dr Jos de Laat, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute
- “Retrieving formaldehyde from TROPOMI in a stratospheric volcanic plume is far outside the instrument's standard operating conditions -- we had to carefully correct the satellite's sensitivity for the unusual altitude of the signal and account for interference from the high sulfur dioxide concentrations. Getting these corrections right was essential to confirm that what we were seeing was real,” — Dr Isabelle De Smedt, Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy
