Tonga Eruption Reveals Methane Breakdown

Satellite observations of the 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption detected unusually high formaldehyde in its stratospheric plume, indicating that methane was being broken down for more than a week.

Researchers estimate that chlorine-driven reactions destroyed roughly 900 metric tons of methane per day, offering a rare way to observe methane loss from space and refine atmospheric methane estimates. The findings may inform research into methane removal, but they do not establish a safe or effective basis for deliberately reproducing the process, particularly because of possible ozone impacts.