The uptake of CH 4 by aerate soil plays a secondary role in the removal of tropospheric CH 4 , but it is still highly uncertain in terms of its magnitude, spatial, and temporal variation. In an attempt to quantify the sink of the vast alpine grasslands (1 400 000 km 2 ) of the Tibetan Plateau, we conducted in situ measurements in an alpine steppe (4730 m) and alpine meadow (4900 m) using the static chamber and gas chromatograp...