{"id":2437,"date":"2024-01-16T14:22:49","date_gmt":"2024-01-16T14:22:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/quality\/groundwater-and-health\/methane-in-uk-groundwater-research-overview\/"},"modified":"2025-11-27T10:02:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T10:02:14","slug":"methane-in-uk-groundwater-research-overview","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/quality\/methane-in-uk-groundwater-research-overview\/","title":{"rendered":"Methane in UK groundwater"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t\t<section class=\"hero-section hero-section-with-social\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hero-info-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hero-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1>Methane in UK groundwater<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"social-wrap social-wrap-inline-them\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sea-background-f\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>Share this article<\/span><a target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/quality\/methane-in-uk-groundwater-research-overview\/\"><span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span class=\"hidden\">Facebook<\/span><\/span><\/a><a target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Methane%20in%20UK%20groundwater&#038;url=https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/quality\/methane-in-uk-groundwater-research-overview\/\"><span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span class=\"hidden\">Twitter<\/span><\/span><\/a><a   onclick=\"javascript:void( (function() {var e=document.createElement('script' );e.setAttribute('type','text\/javascript' );e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8' );e.setAttribute('src','\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());\"  href=\"javascript:void(0);\"><span class=\"icon-pinterest\"><span class=\"hidden\">Pinterest<\/span><\/span><\/a><a target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/wa.me?text=https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/quality\/methane-in-uk-groundwater-research-overview\/\"><span class=\"icon-whatsapp\"><span class=\"hidden\">WhatsApp<\/span><\/span><\/a><a   href=\"mailto:?subject=Methane%20in%20UK%20groundwater&#038;body=%20(https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/quality\/methane-in-uk-groundwater-research-overview\/)\"><span class=\"icon-mail\"><span class=\"hidden\">Email<\/span><\/span><\/a><a href=\"#\" data-copy=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/quality\/methane-in-uk-groundwater-research-overview\/\" class=\"copy-url-on-click\"><span class=\"icon-link\"><span class=\"hidden\">Copy Link<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-bgs-blocks-content-container content-section\"><div class=\"container\"><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12\">\n<p>Methane (CH<sub>4<\/sub>) is an important greenhouse gas and a common trace component of groundwater. BGS has been studying CH<sub>4<\/sub> in UK groundwaters since the 1980s to investigate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#atmos\">the contribution of CH<sub>4<\/sub> to total atmospheric emissions<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#base\">CH<sub>4<\/sub> baseline concentrations in UK groundwaters<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#explode\">What happens when CH<sub>4<\/sub> concentrations reach unsafe levels<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"atmos\">Groundwater methane contribution to total atmospheric emissions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Using baseline CH<sub>4<\/sub> concentrations for the main groundwater supply aquifers in the UK, we estimated that water-supply groundwater sources contribute only 0.05&nbsp;per cent of total UK CH<sub>4<\/sub> emissions (up to 3.3&nbsp;\u00d7&nbsp;10<sup>-4<\/sup>&nbsp;teragrams a year) in 2005.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In terms of a global budget, the groundwater CH<sub>4<\/sub> input was estimated to be two orders of magnitude smaller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Find out more: <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2004.07.019\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The potential for methane emissions from groundwaters of the UK<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"base\">Baseline concentrations in UK groundwaters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>BGS undertook a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/quality\/shale-gas\/national-methane-baseline-survey-of-uk-groundwaters\/\">national baseline CH<sub>4<\/sub> survey<\/a>&nbsp;of groundwater across the UK.&nbsp;This work will enable future changes to be measured, which is of relevance to issues such as possible&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/shale-gas\/\">shale gas<\/a>&nbsp;extraction. Understanding the &#8216;baseline&#8217; concentrations of CH<sub>4<\/sub> in UK groundwater can also help us to assess future methane survey or incident data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Measurements of potable water from the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic carbonate and sandstone aquifers reveal CH<sub>4<\/sub> concentrations of up to 500&nbsp;\u03bcg&nbsp;l<sup>-1<\/sup>,&nbsp;but a mean value of less than&nbsp;10&nbsp;\u03bcg&nbsp;l<sup>-1<\/sup>. Aquiclude and thermal waters from Carboniferous and Triassic rocks have concentrations in excess of 1500&nbsp;\u03bcg&nbsp;l<sup>-1<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Find out more: <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.chemgeo.2005.11.003\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The hydrogeochemistry of methane: evidence from English groundwaters<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"explode\">When does methane become explosive and create a potential safety hazard?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>CH<sub>4<\/sub> becomes an explosive hazard at concentrations of 5 to 15&nbsp;per cent by volume in air. Assuming complete outgassing from water, this requires a minimum dissolved methane concentration of 1600&nbsp;\u03bcg&nbsp;l<sup>-1<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This figure is considerably above the general CH<sub>4<\/sub> baseline, but concentrations an order of magnitude higher have been found in groundwater and tunnels drilled in organic-rich shales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>CH<sub>4<\/sub> is also produced by decaying organic matter, such as that in landfill sites. In 1986, methane leaking from a former landfill site caused an <a href=\"https:\/\/futureclimateinfo.com\/ground-gas-the-lessons-from-loscoe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">explosion in Loscoe, Derbyshire<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t<div  class=\"owl-carousel carousel-primary-color carousel owl-theme thumbs-carousel-js\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"item\"><figure  class=\"img-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/08\/P1061892.webp\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Looking towards a house with a car on the driveway and a large tree in the garden. There is a lamp post and a tall, green cylinder that is venting gas out of the ground.\" \/><figcaption class=\"caption sm-line\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"caption-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/wp-content\/themes\/bgs\/img\/info-caption.svg\" alt=\"Information icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"caption-text\"><p>Methane vent on a housing estate built over a former landfill site in Glasgow. BGS \u00a9 UKRI.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"item\"><figure  class=\"img-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/01\/methane_explosion-300x209.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"A house destroyed by methane explosion at Loscoe, Derbyshire. BGS \u00a9 UKRI.\" \/><figcaption class=\"caption sm-line\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"caption-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/wp-content\/themes\/bgs\/img\/info-caption.svg\" alt=\"Information icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"caption-text\"><p>A house destroyed by methane explosion at Loscoe, Derbyshire. BGS \u00a9 UKRI.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"cta-section  sea-background-e \">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row md-row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t<h2>Need more information?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"btn-wrap\"><a href=\"mailto:enquiries@bgs.ac.uk\"  class=\"button primary-background   \">Contact BGS Enquiries<\/a><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":55,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"1","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2437","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - 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