Does rice cultivation in Iran and all over the world cause the production of methane gas and destroy the ozone layer?
As you know, one of the most destructive gases that destroys the ozone layer is methane gas (CH4). About 60% of the total methane gas is related to human activity. The most methane gas emissions are from rice fields. Paddy fields are responsible for nearly a quarter of human resource methane gas production. Decomposing bacteria in the stagnant water of rice fields (especially in South and Southeast Asia and the Far East) are the main cause of methane gas production. Other activities that cause an increase in methane gas include animal husbandry, burning of straw and coal, burning and agricultural waste water. Since the number of livestock increases by 5% and the amount of agricultural land increases by 7%, the annual share of these resources is increasing every year. Because the rate of decomposition of methane gas by bacteria is slower than its production rate. Ruminant animals speed up the production of methane gas by digesting food and excreting it. They are in the atmosphere. And it causes the ozone layer to be destroyed sooner.
Henrik Rasmus Andersen added a reply
You are right about the emission of methane. However methane doesn’t destroy the ozone layer. Methane is a strong greenhouse gas, though.
Prem Baboo added a reply
Yes, growing rice produces methane, a greenhouse gas more than 30 times as potent as carbon dioxide. Methane is also a potent greenhouse gas, meaning it affects climate change by contributing to increased warming and The reaction of ozone with methane produces carbon dioxide and water vapor. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) have been identified as the main cause of the destruction to the ozone layer, but there are also compounds containing bromine, other halogen compounds and also nitrogen oxides which cause damage.
Alain Robichaud added a reply
I agree with Henrik. Methane does not directly participate to ozone layer destruction. But methane is a strong greenhouse gas. However, indirectly it could contribute through climate change.
Climate change can influence the size of the ozone hole indirectly by affecting the temperature and dynamics of the stratosphere, where ozone depletion occurs. The cooling of the stratosphere due to increasing greenhouse gas concentrations can enhance certain chemical reactions that contribute to ozone depletion.
-Polar Vortex: The size of the ozone hole is strongly influenced by the polar vortex, a large-scale circulation pattern that forms in the stratosphere during the polar winter. Within the polar vortex, temperatures drop significantly, creating conditions that facilitate the chemical reactions responsible for ozone depletion. Climate change can affect the strength and stability of the polar vortex, which in turn can influence the size and duration of the ozone hole.
-Feedback Loops: Changes in atmospheric circulation patterns and temperature gradients due to climate change can lead to feedback loops that further enhance ozone depletion in polar regions. For example, changes in atmospheric circulation can affect the transport of ozone-depleting substances and ozone-depleted air masses, exacerbating ozone loss in the polar regions.
In summary, while climate change can indirectly influence the size of the ozone hole by affecting stratospheric temperatures and atmospheric circulation patterns, the primary cause of ozone depletion and the expansion of the ozone hole in polar regions is the release of ozone-depleting substances by human activities. These references could help you.
References:
Solomon, S., Garcia, R. R., Rowland, F. S., & Wuebbles, D. J. (2012). On the depletion of Antarctic ozone. Nature, 55(7403), 389-395. [DOI: 10.1038/nature10190]
Thompson, D. W., & Solomon, S. (2002). Interpretation of recent Southern Hemisphere climate change. Science, 296(5569), 895-899. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1069270]
Newman, P. A., Nash, E. R., Kawa, S. R., Montzka, S. A., & Schauffler, S. M. (2006). When will the Antarctic ozone hole recover?. Geophysical Research Letters, 33(12). [DOI: 10.1029/2005GL025232]
Polvani, L. M., Waugh, D. W., Correa, G. J., & Son, S. W. (2011). Stratospheric ozone depletion: The main driver of twentieth-century atmospheric circulation changes in the Southern Hemisphere. Journal of Climate, 24(3), 795-812. [DOI: 10.1175/2010JCLI3772.1]
IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). (2013). Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press. [ISBN: 9781107661820]
Robichaud et al. (2010) Impact of energetic particle precipitation on stratospheric polar constituents: an assessment using monitoring and assimilation of operational MIPAS data. https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/10/1739/2010/acp-10-1739-2010.pdf
Dear Sir,
As I know that Chloro-fluro-carbon (CFCs) gases are mainly responsible for Ozone layer depletion, and Carbon dioxide & methane etc. gases for Global warming.
Production/cultivation of rice is necessary to human beings because rice is a main source of food in most of the countries like Asiain countries. Thereby, my opinion in the matter concern is that other man made resources, that releasing methane gas should be compressed & less because day by day, problem of global warming increased. This is not a good sign for our upcoming generations.
Dear, Dr. Abbas Kashani
A very interesting question has been raised by you. But the world's agricultural situation is not interesting and is problematic. In this regard, pay attention to the attached scientific-research article.
Article The Vicious Circle of Climate Challenges With Soil in 5 Cont...