A research van housed a mid-infrared laser system (inset) and telescope, which directed light across the open air to a mirror several hundred meters away.
Credit: K. Cossel/NIST
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have upgraded a highly precise technology designed to monitor emissions of methane, a critical greenhouse gas, and other trace gases, even in harsh field conditions. Measuring methane emissions and pinpointing their source is an important step toward reducing them — the goal of the Global Methane Pledge recently signed by more than 150 nations at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference.
NIST’s upgraded emissions-monitoring technology allowed the research team to estimate methane emissions in a roughly 855 square kilometer (330 square mile) area of Northern Colorado for two months. The study, which examined emissions from two primary sources — agriculture, and oil and gas production — yielded two unexpected findings. First, methane emissions from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) were greater than predicted. Second, total emissions from oil and gas production in the study area appear to have plateaued over the last several years, despite rising production.
“Collecting this type of data is what’s useful for policymakers to see how emissions are changing over time so they can adjust regulations accordingly,” said Kevin Cossel, NIST researcher and co-author of the study.
Methane has approximately 30 times greater global warming potential than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. Substantially reducing methane emissions can help reduce the risks of climate change. But to manage methane emissions, you need to measure them, which presents many technical challenges.
Traditional methods for tracking methane emissions are based on economic activity. For instance, one might calculate the emissions from a CAFO by multiplying th ..
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