CHAPTER 



4° .._ V ■<& 



BIOLOGICAL FORM 



1 



OF METHANE 



Methane is the characteristic product of the microbial 

 decomposition of organic compounds in the absence of oxy- 

 gen. The escape of bubbles of marsh gas from decaying 

 vegetation in swamps and lake beds is a conspicuous phe- 

 nomenon which can hardly be overlooked by anyone who 

 observes rivers or lakes, particularly in the late summer 

 when the water is warm and microbial activity is high. 

 The gas consists largely of methane with smaller amounts 

 of carbon dioxide and sometimes a little hydrogen. 



Historical Background 



Although the escape of combustible gas from various 

 places on the earth's surface was described in Roman times 

 by Pliny and was undoubtedly known much earlier, credit 

 for the discovery of the common formation of such gas in 

 nature must be given to the Italian physicist Alessandro 

 Volta. 1 On November 14, 1776, Volta wrote a letter to a 

 friend describing his unexpected discovery that "combusti- 



1 



