As the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide（ CO2）

methane（ CH4） plays a major role in photochemical reactions at global and regional scales and significantly affects energy balance and climate change. Although observations of near-surface CH4 via the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder（ AIRS version 6. 0） of the EOS / Aqua platform have been published

they have yet to be documented in the context of China. Analysis of near-surface CH4 concentration in China using thermal infrared sensor data is still in its initial phase. Ground-based observation data from Waliguan（ WLG） in Qinghai

Taiwan Lulinshan（ LLN）

and Ulaan Uul in Mongolia（ UUM） are employed to validate the near-surface CH4 concentration obtained via AIRS V6. 0.Results show a consistent trend for the WLG

LLN

and UUM data

with the error being less than 2% and the correlation coefficients being 0. 68

0. 5

and 0. 69

respectively. These data sets can be effectively applied in the analysis of the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of near-surface CH4 concentration. In this paper

the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of the near-surface CH4 concentration from 2003 to 2013 in China are discussed according to region

seasonal variation

and interannual variation. The following results are obtained.（ 1） The minimum near-surface CH4 concentration is observed in Tibet（ 1800ppbv）

and the maximum is observed in northern Xinjiang

Inner Mongolia

and northern Heilongjiang（ 1920 ppbv）.（ 2）Through the analysis of the 11-year AIRS data（ 2003—2013） on near-surface CH4 concentration synthesis products

we find that the near-surface CH4 concentration is low in the south and high in the north

a trend that is consistent with that in the middle and high latitude regions.（ 3） Regional statistics and the overall seasonal variation demonstrate that the seasonal change is significant

especially in the western region where the increase is observed from 1838 ppbv in April to 1882 ppbv in September. The lowest value is observed in April and May

and the highest value is observed in August and September. These results indicate high near-surface CH4 concentrations in summer and autumn and low concentrations in winter and spring. In the northwest

high near-surface CH4 concentrations are observed in December.（ 4） From 2003 to 2013

the national average CH4 concentration near the ground showed a basic growing trend

except for the slight decrease in 2006 and 2010. The concentration values in the northwest and east regions vary consistently. A rapid increase is observed in northeast China

whereas the growth in the south is not obvious. Interannual fluctuations are bigger in the northwest than in the northeast.（ 4） In the south

the overestimated value of near-surface CH4 concentration by AIRS is higher than the ground-based CH4 products in LLN in summer.