Journal article
A new aerial approach for quantifying and attributing methane emissions: implementation and validation
Atmospheric measurement techniques, Vol.17(17), pp.5091-5111
09/04/2024
DOI: 10.5194/amt-17-5091-2024
Abstract
Methane (CH4) is a powerful greenhouse gas that is produced by a diverse set of natural and anthropogenic emission sources. Biogenic methane sources generally involve anaerobic decay processes such as those occurring in wetlands, melting permafrost, or the digestion of organic matter in the guts of ruminant animals. Thermogenic CH4 sources originate from the breakdown of organic material at high temperatures and pressure within the Earth's crust, a process which also produces more complex trace hydrocarbons such as ethane (C2H6). Here, we present the development and deployment of an uncrewed aerial system (UAS) that employs a fast (1 Hz) and sensitive (1-0.5 ppbs-1) CH4 and C2H6 sensor and ultrasonic anemometer. The UAS platform is a vertical-takeoff, hexarotor drone (DJI Matrice 600 Pro, M600P) capable of vertical profiling to 120 m altitude and plume sampling across scales up to 1 km. Simultaneous measurements of CH4 and C2H6 concentrations, vector winds, and positional data allow for source classification (biogenic versus thermogenic), differentiation, and emission rates without the need for modeling or a priori assumptions about winds, vertical mixing, or other environmental conditions. The system has been used for direct quantification of methane point sources, such as orphan wells, and distributed emitters, such as landfills and wastewater treatment facilities. With detectable source rates as low as 0.04 and up to similar to 1500 kgh-1, this UAS offers a direct and repeatable method of horizontal and vertical profiling of emission plumes at scales that are complementary to regional aerial surveys and localized ground-based monitoring.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- A new aerial approach for quantifying and attributing methane emissions: implementation and validation
- Creators
- Jonathan F. Dooley - New Mexico Institute of Mining and TechnologyKenneth Minschwaner - New Mexico Institute of Mining and TechnologyManvendra K. Dubey - Los Alamos National LaboratorySahar H. El Abbadi - Stanford UniversityEvan D. Sherwin - Stanford UniversityAaron G. Meyer - Los Alamos National LaboratoryEmily Follansbee - Los Alamos National LaboratoryJames E. Lee - Los Alamos National Laboratory
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Atmospheric measurement techniques, Vol.17(17), pp.5091-5111
- DOI
- 10.5194/amt-17-5091-2024
- ISSN
- 1867-1381
- eISSN
- 1867-8548
- Publisher
- Copernicus Gesellschaft Mbh
- Number of pages
- 21
- Grant note
- President's Office at New Mexico Tech 043699 / New Mexico Consortium sub award
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 09/04/2024
- Academic Unit
- Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984843606902771
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