A recent study that examined the annual globally averaged increase in atmospheric methane reveals a 0.78% increase, somewhat less than the 1–2% annual increase reported by other investigators in earlier studies. According to a report in the June issue of the Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry, it is too soon to say if the difference between the measurements is significant. Although earlier studies were based on longer periods of measurements, they covered a smaller geographic area. In the new study, methane concentrations were measured in air samples that were collected weekly at 23 sites around the globe during a 2‐year period that began in May 1983. These sites constitute the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Geophysical Monitoring for Climatic Change sampling network.