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Publication Abstracts

Chua et al. 2025, submitted

Chua, G., V. Naik, F. Paulot, J. Feng, and L.W. Horowitz, 2025: Impact of future methane emission trajectories on atmospheric composition and climate impacts of a future hydrogen economy. Earth's Future, submitted.

Hydrogen (H2) is projected to have an increasingly important role in a future low-carbon economy. In a future H2 economy, H2 emissions could increase from leakage across the supply chain. When it leaks, H2, even though it is itself radiatively inert, undergoes similar chemical reactions to methane (CH4) in the atmosphere, leading to detrimental climate and air quality effects. Here, we study the interactions between hypothetical future H2 leakage and possible future CH4 emission trajectories, utilizing the GFDL AM4.1 atmospheric chemistry-climate model (CCM) driven by H2 and CH4 emissions to more fully simulate their chemical feedbacks. Due to the similarity in the atmospheric composition and climate impacts of H2 and CH4, CH4 mitigation can effectively offset the impacts of H2 leakage. Furthermore, due to their chemical coupling, the effects of H2 on atmospheric composition are dependent on background CH4 emission levels. However, despite this dependency, the warming impact of H2 remains largely independent of background CH4 emission levels, because of offsetting changes in the forcing from radiatively-active gases as well as model rapid adjustments. Increased H2 adoption in a H2 economy also results in reduced fossil fuel usage contributing to reductions in other short-lived climate forcer emissions such as ozone precursors and aerosols. When these additional reductions are considered, CH4 mitigation is even more important so as to maximize the climate and air quality benefits of a H2 economy.

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BibTeX Citation

@unpublished{ch01710p,
  author={Chua, G. and Naik, V. and Paulot, F. and Feng, J. and Horowitz, L. W.},
  title={Impact of future methane emission trajectories on atmospheric composition and climate impacts of a future hydrogen economy},
  year={2025},
  journal={Earth's Future},
  note={Manuscript submitted for publication}
}

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RIS Citation

TY  - UNPB
ID  - ch01710p
AU  - Chua, G.
AU  - Naik, V.
AU  - Paulot, F.
AU  - Feng, J.
AU  - Horowitz, L. W.
PY  - 2025
TI  - Impact of future methane emission trajectories on atmospheric composition and climate impacts of a future hydrogen economy
JA  - Earth's Future
JO  - Earth's Future
ER  -

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