Measurement of intact methane isotopologues, including ^(13)CH_3D

Methane (CH_4) is both a significant greenhouse gas and resource. Its present and past cycling can be studied through measurements of concentration and/or bulk isotopic ratios (^(13)C/^(12)C, D/H, and ^(14)C/^(12)C). Currently, isotope ratios are measured by mass spectrometric analysis of H_2 and CO_2 produced from CH_4, or by spectroscopy of CH_4. However, the interpretation of bulk isotopic variations of CH_4 are often equivocal, necessitating additional tracers.