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Atmospheric Methane: Estimates of Its Past, Present and Future and Its Role in Effecting Changes in Atmospheric Chemistry

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Land Use Changes in Europe

Part of the book series: The GeoJournal Library ((GEJL,volume 18))

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Abstract

Land use and industrialization in the past have led to local or regional environmental degradation; now our activities have reached a level at which we are facing serious global consequences. This is particularly true for the atmosphere, in which anthropogenically released gases have led to global changes in the chemical composition of the air and changes in the Earth’s radiation budget, with likely consequences for the climate in the near future. Expected temperature rises due to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), ozone (O3) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), have the potential to shift the climate regions within the coming decades (Bolin et al., 1986). This may be beneficial for some regions, but catastrophic for others. The regional climate shifts predicted are still subject to a high degree of uncertainty since the response of the climate system to perturbations is not fully understood. Model calculations agree to the extent that radiative forcing of the atmosphere due to increased concentrations of greenhouse gases globally leads to a warming of the Earth’s surface, but differ considerably in their predictions on a regional level.

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Authors
  1. I. Aselmann
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Agricultural Economics Research Institute, The Hague, The Netherlands

    F. M. Brouwer

  2. Stockholm Environment Institute at York, York, UK

    A. J. Thomas  & M. J. Chadwick  & 

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Aselmann, I. (1991). Atmospheric Methane: Estimates of Its Past, Present and Future and Its Role in Effecting Changes in Atmospheric Chemistry. In: Brouwer, F.M., Thomas, A.J., Chadwick, M.J. (eds) Land Use Changes in Europe. The GeoJournal Library, vol 18. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3290-9_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3290-9_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

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  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-3290-9

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