大规模封锁减少了污染,削弱了大自然的甲烷清理工作,并导致大气甲烷急剧上升。 Pandemic lockdowns reduced pollution, weakening nature’s methane cleanup and causing a sharp rise in atmospheric methane.

2020-2022年大气甲烷剧增,使年增长率翻了一番,这主要是由于大流行性封闭期间氮氧化物排放量减少,削弱了大气层的天然甲烷净化机制。 A 2020–2022 surge in atmospheric methane, doubling the annual increase, was largely driven by reduced nitrogen oxide emissions during pandemic lockdowns, which weakened the atmosphere’s natural methane-cleaning mechanism. 低水氧化基水平因污染减少而导致的低水氧化基水平使得甲烷的持久性延长,占峰值的80%至83%左右。 Lower hydroxyl radical levels, caused by less pollution, allowed methane to persist longer, accounting for about 80–83% of the spike. 热带湿地的排放量因湿润、更暖和的条件而增加,也促成了排放的增加。 Increased emissions from tropical wetlands due to wetter, warmer conditions also contributed. 尽管空气较清洁,但意外后果凸显出一种气候悖论:减少污染会减缓甲烷的清除速度,加剧全球变暖。 Despite cleaner air, the unintended consequence highlights a climate paradox: pollution reductions can slow methane removal, worsening global warming. 科学家强调,减少人类造成的甲烷排放对于抵消这些影响仍然至关重要。 Scientists stress that cutting human-caused methane emissions remains critical to offset these effects.