4 ms·

Satellites can now find the sources of methane leaks

60 points by jonbaer 4y ago

tomrod 4y ago
I look forward to the data being made available. There is a lot of interest in identifying sources at high resolution. I hope they comment here and give some sense of their roadmap and data subscription pricing. Their products & services: https://www.ghgsat.com/en/products-services/ https://www.ghgsat.com/en/products-services/
fswd 4y ago
On a different subject... So Windy.com recently added some more data (click Additional Data/More Data on the side) One of them is CO2. In my heavily forested area it reads 79 PPBV. I'm confused because I've always thought we're in the 300-400 PPM for CO2. But if I got this right, 79 PPBV converted to ppm is .079ppm CO2... No? I was expecting a higher number. Something wrong about the V here in the number, volumetric meter I am assuming? if you click around in the metro areas around the country it does read what I think is 200-400ppbv as expected. Maybe somebody here can explain: What's the difference between ppbv and ppm? https://www.windy.com/-Show---add-more-layers/overlays?cosc,44.374,-64.512,5,m:eMead7i https://www.windy.com/-Show---add-more-layers/overlays?cosc,...
- schoen 4y ago
  See https://www3.epa.gov/ceampubl/learn2model/part-two/onsite/doc/Indoor%20Air%20Unit%20Conversions.pdf https://www3.epa.gov/ceampubl/learn2model/part-two/onsite/do... (I just found this with a web search and wasn't familiar with it before). It looks like it also requires an adjustment based on molar mass of the particular substances involved.
- Retric 4y ago
  You misread the UI. It’s CO or carbon monoxide not CO2 carbon dioxide.
  - fswd 4y ago
    Sure did...
- petre 4y ago
  Parts per billion by volume. It's a volume metric.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
intrasight 4y ago
Also discussed last week in The Economist https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2022/06/23/new-technology-can-help-monitor-manage-and-minimise-methane-leaks https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2022/06/23/ne...
thamer 4y ago
Some of these leaks are enormous. In the past few years one in particular made the news, at the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility managed by SoCal Gas[1]. It was the worst single natural gas leak for the U.S. in recorded history, with an estimated 97,100 tons of methane released. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliso_Canyon_gas_leak https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliso_Canyon_gas_leak
- qwertox 4y ago
  Interesting sentence in the article: "The leak's direct cause was a rupture of the outer 7-inch well casing due to microbial corrosion from the outside resulting from contact with groundwater."
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
beezle 4y ago
They'll be blinded if they point it at the north east corridor. Just one example but NY/NJ/CT are sure to be just as bad https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/10/25/methane-leaks-natural-gas-boston/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/10/2...
p1mrx 4y ago
How long until these satellites have enough precision to identify who farted?
- euroderf 4y ago
  ... and use an Earth-based drone to ear-tag you as a menace to the (natural|social) environment.
rzimmerman 4y ago
Carbon Mapper is a really great mission that will help crack down on a lot of accidental and negligent releases of methane and CO2. I used to work on this project and there are some really amazing people making it happen: https://www.planet.com/pulse/carbon-mapper-launches-satellite-program-to-pinpoint-methane-and-co2-super-emitters/ https://www.planet.com/pulse/carbon-mapper-launches-satellit...

60 points by jonbaer 4y ago

I look forward to the data being made available. There is a lot of interest in identifying sources at high resolution. I hope they comment here and give some sense of their roadmap and data subscription pricing. Their products & services: https://www.ghgsat.com/en/products-services/ https://www.ghgsat.com/en/products-services/

fswd 4y ago

On a different subject... So Windy.com recently added some more data (click Additional Data/More Data on the side) One of them is CO2. In my heavily forested area it reads 79 PPBV. I'm confused because I've always thought we're in the 300-400 PPM for CO2. But if I got this right, 79 PPBV converted to ppm is .079ppm CO2... No? I was expecting a higher number. Something wrong about the V here in the number, volumetric meter I am assuming? if you click around in the metro areas around the country it does read what I think is 200-400ppbv as expected. Maybe somebody here can explain: What's the difference between ppbv and ppm? https://www.windy.com/-Show---add-more-layers/overlays?cosc,44.374,-64.512,5,m:eMead7i https://www.windy.com/-Show---add-more-layers/overlays?cosc,...

schoen 4y ago
See https://www3.epa.gov/ceampubl/learn2model/part-two/onsite/doc/Indoor%20Air%20Unit%20Conversions.pdf https://www3.epa.gov/ceampubl/learn2model/part-two/onsite/do... (I just found this with a web search and wasn't familiar with it before). It looks like it also requires an adjustment based on molar mass of the particular substances involved.
Retric 4y ago
You misread the UI. It’s CO or carbon monoxide not CO2 carbon dioxide.
- fswd 4y ago
  Sure did...
petre 4y ago
Parts per billion by volume. It's a volume metric.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

intrasight 4y ago

Also discussed last week in The Economist https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2022/06/23/new-technology-can-help-monitor-manage-and-minimise-methane-leaks https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2022/06/23/ne...

thamer 4y ago

Some of these leaks are enormous. In the past few years one in particular made the news, at the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility managed by SoCal Gas[1]. It was the worst single natural gas leak for the U.S. in recorded history, with an estimated 97,100 tons of methane released. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliso_Canyon_gas_leak https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliso_Canyon_gas_leak

qwertox 4y ago
Interesting sentence in the article: "The leak's direct cause was a rupture of the outer 7-inch well casing due to microbial corrosion from the outside resulting from contact with groundwater."
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

beezle 4y ago

They'll be blinded if they point it at the north east corridor. Just one example but NY/NJ/CT are sure to be just as bad https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/10/25/methane-leaks-natural-gas-boston/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/10/2...

p1mrx 4y ago

How long until these satellites have enough precision to identify who farted?

euroderf 4y ago
... and use an Earth-based drone to ear-tag you as a menace to the (natural|social) environment.

rzimmerman 4y ago

Carbon Mapper is a really great mission that will help crack down on a lot of accidental and negligent releases of methane and CO2. I used to work on this project and there are some really amazing people making it happen: https://www.planet.com/pulse/carbon-mapper-launches-satellite-program-to-pinpoint-methane-and-co2-super-emitters/ https://www.planet.com/pulse/carbon-mapper-launches-satellit...