Methane - CH4

Methane is a chemical compound with the molecular formula CH4 and the simplest representative of the alkanes. Under normal conditions, it is a colorless, odorless, flammable gas. Methane is insoluble in water and forms explosive mixtures with air. It burns with a bluish-bright flame in the presence of sufficient oxygen to form carbon dioxide and water.

It occurs naturally and is the main component of natural gas. Since it occurs in large quantities in deposits, it is an attractive source of energy. It is transported through pipelines or as a deep-frozen liquid by tankers. It also occurs as methane hydrate bound to the seabed and permafrost areas, although the exact supply is unknown. Methane is used as a heating gas and is of great importance in the chemical industry as a starting material for technical syntheses such as methanol production or the production of halogenated methane derivatives. It is also used to produce hydrogen on a large industrial scale.

The gas is produced in considerable quantities by biological processes, either anaerobically by microorganisms or aerobically by phytoplankton, plants and fungi. Anthropogenic sources include rice cultivation and cattle breeding. Abiotic sources such as forest fires or volcanic eruptions also release methane.

Methane is the most abundant hydrocarbon in the Earth's atmosphere, with concentrations varying both between the northern and southern hemispheres and seasonally. As a greenhouse gas, methane has a high global warming potential. It contributed to global warming in climate history and is influencing current global warming. In the Earth's atmosphere, it is oxidized to water, formaldehyde, and eventually carbon dioxide. Methane is a component of the atmospheres of other planets and moons and has been detected in comets as well as in the interstellar medium.

Source: Wikipedia