= Solution
<Methane> is an infrared-active <greenhouse gas> with absorption in the terrestrial thermal spectrum. Its direct forcing is supplemented by chemically induced changes in <tropospheric ozone> and stratospheric <water vapor>. Its finite <atmospheric lifetime> makes sustained emissions and emission pulses different experiments: stopping emissions permits the <methane> burden to decline much faster than the long tail of a carbon-dioxide perturbation. Quantitative comparisons require a specified emission <mass>, time horizon and treatment of indirect effects, as formalized by <global warming potential>.
Back to article page
