A 2022 volcanic eruption in the South Pacific appears to have cleaned up its own methane pollution. Researchers using satellite data found that the Hunga Tonga eruption produced a cloud with high formaldehyde levels, a short-lived chemical that forms when methane breaks down. The cloud kept destroying methane for over a week as it drifted toward South America. The finding suggests volcanic ash can trigger methane removal at a scale not seen before. Scientists at the University of Copenhagen say engineers may try to replicate the process if it proves safe. Methane causes about 30 percent of the warming since the industrial era, so any scalable removal method would matter for climate goals. The study was published in Nature Communications.
