Waterfalls: Unexpected Amplifiers of Methane Emissions

Sẻ Đồng

26-03-2025

“1) The site must be well-protected, with a mountain behind and a water area in front. 
2) The air should flow freely, but the nest must still be shielded from sun and rain, following the traditional Kingfisher burrow-style, or better yet, a splendid cave.”

In “Feng Shui Professor”; Wild Wise Weird [1]

Waterfalls may be beautiful to behold—but they are also quietly accelerating greenhouse gas emissions. A new study in Communications Earth & Environment reveals that waterfalls can significantly increase regional methane (CH₄) emissions by allowing the gas to escape the water before microbes have a chance to break it down [1].

Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is naturally produced in river sediments and dissolves into river water. Under normal conditions, some of this methane is consumed by microbes through a process called aerobic oxidation, reducing the amount that reaches the atmosphere. But turbulence disrupts this balance [2].

In this study, researchers measured methane concentrations and oxidation rates at nine waterfalls in western New York. They discovered that, on average, 88% of the excess dissolved methane was emitted at the waterfall—regardless of height or streamflow. Even small waterfalls were highly effective at releasing methane, thanks to intense turbulence that accelerates gas exchange. At one site, the residence time of methane in the water was as short as 0.5 seconds.

By comparison, microbial oxidation in calmer waters can remove up to 55% of dissolved methane. But when a waterfall is introduced, this natural “biofilter” is bypassed. The result? Not just a local spike in emissions, but a measurable increase in overall regional methane release.

This finding highlights an often-overlooked mechanism in global methane cycling. With waterfalls and dam spillways scattered across river networks worldwide, these natural and artificial features may play a bigger role in greenhouse gas emissions than previously thought—something climate models will need to account for [3]. Designing models following Nature Quotient perspective can be a promising approach [4].

References

[1] Vuong QH. (2024). Wild Wise Weird. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BG2NNHY6/ 

[2] Rust RL, et al. (2025). Waterfalls enhance regional methane emissions by enabling dissolved methane to bypass microbial oxidation. Communications Earth & Environment, 6, 140. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02060-3 

[3] Mau S, et al. (2013). Vertical distribution of methane oxidation and methanotrophic response to elevated methane concentrations in stratified waters of the Arctic fjord Storfjorden (Svalbard, Norway). Biogeosciences, 10(10), 6267–6278. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-6267-2013 

[4] Nguyen MH. (2024). How can satirical fables offer us a vision for sustainability? Visions for Sustainability. https://ojs.unito.it/index.php/visions/article/view/11267