First validation of high-resolution satellite-derived methane emissions from an active gas leak in the UK Atmospheric Measurement Techniques DOI 10.5194/amt-17-1599-2024 18 March 2024 We provide the first validation of the satellite-derived emission estimates using surface-based mobile greenhouse gas surveys of an active gas leak detected near Cheltenham, UK. GHGSat’s emission estimates broadly agree with the surface-based mobile survey and steps were taken to fix the leak, highlighting the importance of satellite data in identifying emissions and helping to reduce our human impact on climate change. Read more
Local and regional scale measurements of CH4, δ13CH4, and C2H6 in the Uintah Basin using a mobile stable isotope analyzer Atmospheric Measurement Techniques DOI 10.5194/amtd-8-4859-2015 13 May 2015 We describe an innovative instrument based on cavity ring down spectroscopy that analyzes the stable isotopes of methane in the ambient atmosphere. This instrument was used to study atmospheric emissions from oil and gas extraction activities in the Uintah Basin in Utah. These measurements suggest that 86 ± 7% of the total emissions in the basin are from natural gas production. The easy field deployment of this instrument can enable similar regional attribution studies across the world. Read more
Evaluating the climate and air quality impacts of short-lived pollutants Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics DOI 10.5194/acp-15-10529-2015 24 September 2015 This paper presents a summary of the findings of the ECLIPSE EU project. The project has investigated the climate and air quality impacts of short-lived climate pollutants (especially methane, ozone, aerosols) and has designed a global mitigation strategy that maximizes co-benefits between air quality and climate policy. Transient climate model simulations allowed quantifying the impacts on temperature (e.g., reduction in global warming by 0.22K for the decade 2041-2050) and precipitation. Read more
Local- and regional-scale measurements of CH4, δ13CH4, and C2H6 in the Uintah Basin using a mobile stable isotope analyzer Atmospheric Measurement Techniques DOI 10.5194/amt-8-4539-2015 30 October 2015 We describe an innovative instrument based on cavity ring-down spectroscopy that analyzes the stable isotopes of methane in the ambient atmosphere. This instrument was used to study atmospheric emissions from oil and gas extraction activities in the Uintah Basin in Utah. These measurements suggest that 85 ± 7% of the total emissions in the basin are from natural gas production. The easy field deployment of this instrument can enable similar regional attribution studies across the world. Read more
A quantitative approach to evaluating the GWP timescale through implicit discount rates Earth System Dynamics DOI 10.5194/esd-9-1013-2018 17 August 2018 The 100-year GWP is the most widely used metric for comparing the climate impact of different gases such as methane and carbon dioxide. However, there have been recent arguments for the use of different timescales. This paper uses straightforward estimates of future damages to quantitatively determine the appropriate timescale as a function of how society discounts the future and finds that the 100-year timescale is consistent with commonly used discount rates. Read more
Soil greenhouse gas fluxes from tropical coastal wetlands and alternative agricultural land uses Biogeosciences DOI 10.5194/bg-18-5085-2021 5 November 2021 Greenhouse gas emissions were measured and compared from natural coastal wetlands and their converted agricultural lands across annual seasonal cycles in tropical Australia. Ponded pastures emitted ~ 200-fold-higher methane than any other tested land use type, suggesting the highest greenhouse gas mitigation potential and financial incentives by the restoration of ponded pastures to natural coastal wetlands. Read more
