Methane mole fraction and δ<sup>13</sup>C above and below the trade wind inversion at Ascension Island in air sampled by aerial robotics

Brownlow, Rebecca; Lowry, David; Thomas, RM; Fisher, RE; Cain, Michelle; Richardson, Thomas; Greatwood, Colin; Freer, J. E.; Pyle, J. A.; Mackenzie, Adrian; Nisbet, E. G.

doi:10.1002/2016gl071155

Cited by 17 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…One of the primary advantages of UAVs is that they are uniquely suited to characterizing methane plumes in three dimensions while flying in close proximity to the source, improving confidence in attribution. To date, various attempts have been made to measure methane from a UAV (Khan et al 2012, Brownlow et al 2016, Barchyn et al 2017, Cossel et al 2017, Emran et al 2017, Smith et al 2017. The first comprehensive study investigating UAV methanesensing potential focused on a single compressor station, which was monitored over a one-week period by a fixed-wing UAV (Nathan et al 2015).…”

Section: Unmanned Aerial Vehiclesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of close-range and screening technologies for mitigating fugitive methane emissions in upstream oil and gas

Fox

Barchyn

Risk

et al. 2019

Environ. Res. Lett.

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Fugitive methane emissions from the oil and gas industry are targeted using leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs. Until recently, only a limited number of measurement standards have been permitted by most regulators, with emphasis on close-range methods (e.g. Method-21, optical gas imaging). Although close-range methods are essential for source identification, they can be labor-intensive. To improve LDAR efficiency, there has been a policy shift in Canada and the United States towards incorporating alternative technologies. However, the suitability of these technologies for LDAR remains unclear. In this paper, we systematically review and compare six technology classes for use in LDAR: handheld instruments, fixed sensors, mobile ground labs (MGLs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), aircraft, and satellites. These technologies encompass broad spatial and temporal scales of measurement. Minimum detection limits for technology classes range from <1 g h−1 for Method 21 instruments to 7.1 × 106 g h−1 for the GOSAT satellite, and uncertainties are poorly constrained. To leverage the diverse capabilities of these technologies, we introduce a hybrid screening-confirmation approach to LDAR called a comprehensive monitoring program. Here, a screening technology is used to rapidly tag high-emitting sites to direct close-range source identification. Currently, fixed sensors, MGLs, UAVs, and aircraft could be used as screening technologies, but their performances must be evaluated under a range of environmental and operational conditions to better constrain detection effectiveness. Methane-sensing satellites are improving rapidly and may soon be ready for facility-scale screening. We conclude with a speculative discussion of the future of LDAR, touching on integration, analytics, incentivization, and regulatory pathways.

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Section: Unmanned Aerial Vehiclesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of close-range and screening technologies for mitigating fugitive methane emissions in upstream oil and gas

Fox

Barchyn

Risk

et al. 2019

Environ. Res. Lett.

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“…Methane sources vary with latitudinal zone. Isotopic signatures of sources are summarized by Dlugokencky et al (2011) and in more detail by Sherwood et al (2017), Zazzeri et al (2016), and Brownlow et al (2016). Much depends on vegetation type: temperate vegetation is mainly of C3 plants, which are very selective for 12 C. Tropical biomes, especially the savannas and wetlands, typically include abundant C4 grasses (e.g., papyrus).…”

Section: Methane Sources and Sinks: The Insight From Carbon Isotopesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Very Strong Atmospheric Methane Growth in the 4 Years 2014–2017: Implications for the Paris Agreement

Nisbet

Manning

Dlugokencky

et al. 2019

Global Biogeochemical Cycles

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470

447

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Atmospheric methane grew very rapidly in 2014 (12.7 ± 0.5 ppb/year), 2015 (10.1 ± 0.7 ppb/year), 2016 (7.0 ± 0.7 ppb/year), and 2017 (7.7 ± 0.7 ppb/year), at rates not observed since the 1980s. The increase in the methane burden began in 2007, with the mean global mole fraction in remote surface background air rising from about 1,775 ppb in 2006 to 1,850 ppb in 2017. Simultaneously the 13C/12C isotopic ratio (expressed as δ13CCH4) has shifted, now trending negative for more than a decade. The causes of methane's recent mole fraction increase are therefore either a change in the relative proportions (and totals) of emissions from biogenic and thermogenic and pyrogenic sources, especially in the tropics and subtropics, or a decline in the atmospheric sink of methane, or both. Unfortunately, with limited measurement data sets, it is not currently possible to be more definitive. The climate warming impact of the observed methane increase over the past decade, if continued at >5 ppb/year in the coming decades, is sufficient to challenge the Paris Agreement, which requires sharp cuts in the atmospheric methane burden. However, anthropogenic methane emissions are relatively very large and thus offer attractive targets for rapid reduction, which are essential if the Paris Agreement aims are to be attained.

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“…In practice, each quantification problem is different, and measuring teams have different analytical assets. Ground vehicles are appropriate and widely used for studying locally sourced plumes (e.g., Baillie et al, ) and can be supplemented with UAV (drone) grab‐bag sampling (Brownlow et al, ), or by tethered sampling tubes lifted either by UAVs (Allen et al, ), or pop‐up balloons (Steiger et al, ). Such approaches can yield 3‐D sampling for local‐scale (e.g., site‐specific) flux retrieval using mass balancing approaches to quantify fluxes accurately.…”

Section: Quantification Of Emissionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Methane Mitigation: Methods to Reduce Emissions, on the Path to the Paris Agreement

Nisbet

Fisher

Lowry

et al. 2020

Reviews of Geophysics

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214

131

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The atmospheric methane burden is increasing rapidly, contrary to pathways compatible with the goals of the 2015 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Paris Agreement. Urgent action is required to bring methane back to a pathway more in line with the Paris goals. Emission reduction from “tractable” (easier to mitigate) anthropogenic sources such as the fossil fuel industries and landfills is being much facilitated by technical advances in the past decade, which have radically improved our ability to locate, identify, quantify, and reduce emissions. Measures to reduce emissions from “intractable” (harder to mitigate) anthropogenic sources such as agriculture and biomass burning have received less attention and are also becoming more feasible, including removal from elevated‐methane ambient air near to sources. The wider effort to use microbiological and dietary intervention to reduce emissions from cattle (and humans) is not addressed in detail in this essentially geophysical review. Though they cannot replace the need to reach “net‐zero” emissions of CO2, significant reductions in the methane burden will ease the timescales needed to reach required CO2 reduction targets for any particular future temperature limit. There is no single magic bullet, but implementation of a wide array of mitigation and emission reduction strategies could substantially cut the global methane burden, at a cost that is relatively low compared to the parallel and necessary measures to reduce CO2, and thereby reduce the atmospheric methane burden back toward pathways consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement.

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Methane mole fraction and δ¹³C above and below the trade wind inversion at Ascension Island in air sampled by aerial robotics

Cited by 17 publications

References 33 publications

A review of close-range and screening technologies for mitigating fugitive methane emissions in upstream oil and gas

A review of close-range and screening technologies for mitigating fugitive methane emissions in upstream oil and gas

Very Strong Atmospheric Methane Growth in the 4 Years 2014–2017: Implications for the Paris Agreement

Methane Mitigation: Methods to Reduce Emissions, on the Path to the Paris Agreement

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Methane mole fraction and δ13C above and below the trade wind inversion at Ascension Island in air sampled by aerial robotics

Cited by 17 publications

References 33 publications

A review of close-range and screening technologies for mitigating fugitive methane emissions in upstream oil and gas

A review of close-range and screening technologies for mitigating fugitive methane emissions in upstream oil and gas

Very Strong Atmospheric Methane Growth in the 4 Years 2014–2017: Implications for the Paris Agreement

Methane Mitigation: Methods to Reduce Emissions, on the Path to the Paris Agreement

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Methane mole fraction and δ¹³C above and below the trade wind inversion at Ascension Island in air sampled by aerial robotics