Elements are pure substances that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means. Methane is a compound, consisting of the elements carbon and hydrogen, bound together by covalent bonds.

Methane is indeed a natural gas and a significant component of the Earth's atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect that regulates the planet's temperature.

However, it is not an element found on the periodic table but rather a molecule formed by the chemical combination of carbon and hydrogen atoms.