Methane (CH4)

The main component of natural gas deposits and oil deposit gas caps. Methane is produced naturally by landfills, rice cultivation and cow flatulence. This gas, which occurs in very small amounts in the atmosphere, plays a significant role in worsening the greenhouse effect: its capacity to absorb infrared radiation is 20 to 50 times higher than that of CO2. However, its lifetime in the atmosphere is only 10 years, compared to thousands of years for CO2.