If methane is absorbed into water droplets can it fall as hailstones and catch fire by friction?

Question

A friend has suggested this a possibility

Carbon Dioxide is absorbed by water droplets and forms Carboni Acid?
Nitrogen Oxide from factories is absorbed by water droplets and can form Nitric Acid?
Sulphur - Sulphuric Acid etc.
Hence Acid Rain. What about the huge amounts of Methane that scientists reckon are going to be released into the atmosphere? Will this not be absorbed into water also?

So, not even lightning could in any way ignite methane released into the atmosphere by global warming either as gas or as falling hail? The only way methane can ignite is if it is concentrated - as in a disused coalmine - ? And this concentration simply will not occur in the atmosphere?

Answer 1

No, because a) methane can't be absorbed into water readily (as it's a nonpolar gas), and b) there's nowhere near enough of a density of methane to catch fire anywhere in the atmosphere. The methane molecules, if they COULD be absorbed by water, would be spaced so far apart in a water droplet that they'd just sit there happily and never be exposed to friction with the air as the rain fell.

Answer 2

No--for two reasons. Friction does cause heat, but the heat would simply be dissipated by melting of the ice crystals. Same reason your car tires don't catch fire when you slam on your brakes (w/o abs). The rubber just melts instead of heating up to the combustion point.

Second reason is that methane has to attain a minimum concentration in the atmosphere in order to become flammable. As the ice melts, the methane would be released in trace amounts. That is to say, the hail stone cannot melt suddenly upon impact and release all the methane at once.

Answer 3

The temperatures on earth are not cold enough for methane to solidify. If you wanted a methane "water" cycle, then look to saturn's moon - titan has a temperature of minus 300 F, and has methane drizzle, solid methane continents that look as if they are undergoing plate movements - there is evidence of sheer faulting. There is a liquid methane sea and rivers that have cut valleys into the methane ice continents. Because of the low temperature, no combustion! Interestingly methane is only naturally produced by volcanic activity (cryovolcanism on Titan) or biological activity.

Answer 4

These nanotubes, grown by thermal Chemical Vapour Deposition (a chemical process often used in the semiconductor industry), are promising candidates for integration into existing nanoelectronic devices.

This result also sheds new light on the possible mechanisms that occur during carbon nanotube growth. Previously, the assumption that the catalyst has to be liquid often dominated carbon nanotube growth model considerations, but at these lower temperatures evidence has been found of a solid catalyst. These findings extend to the catalytic growth of other nanostructures in general.

Answer 5

Conditions on this planet not as favorable as some I've visited.
(It's a density thing)

However St Elmo's fire and ball lightning is pretty cool.

PS Water does burn, for that matter anything can under proper conditions can explode/burn.

Answer 6

probable not, they might not observe a lacking handbag from a drawer that replaced into burned close... and if the pals do not know you what are they gonna do? that's assuming that they even care. despite the fact that, posting this utilising your call (if it rather is Courtney Brooks) would not help with not getting caught.

Answer 7

Methane is a gas, not a solid.

Answer 8

think about it.... friction igniting methane is unlikely for a start. but frozen water "cold" creating friction "melting" and......

Answer 9

Not a chance..
Fall much too slow...
( That's the simplest of several reasons )

Answer 10

there isn't enough of a concentration of it in the atmosphere