A pair of ongoing studies show unexpectedly high methane leakage from some oil and gas fields in the U.S., findings that underscore concerns that the climate benefits of the natural gas boom may be overstated. Researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder say new data indicates that as much as 4 percent of methane from a production area in Denver is leaking into the atmosphere, echoing findings first reported in a much-disputed study published last year in the Journal of Geophysical Research. A separate field study in Utah suggested even higher methane leakage rates of 9 percent. The calculations were made based on aerial and ground-based measurements and atmospheric models that estimated the level of emissions required to produce the recorded concentrations. “We were expecting to see high methane levels, but I don’t think anybody really comprehended the true magnitude of what we would see,” said Colm Sweeney, of the federal Earth System Research Lab Aircraft Program.
Methane Leak Data Highlights Concerns About Natural Gas Drilling
More From E360
-
TOXICS
Road Hazard: Evidence Mounts on Toxic Pollution from Tires
-
Biodiversity
A Summer Light Show Dims: Why Are Fireflies Disappearing?
-
Climate
From Carbon Sink to Source: The Stark Changes in Arctic Lakes
-
Photo Essay
Edible Insects: In Europe, a Growing Push for Bug-Based Food
-
WATER
As the Mississippi Swerves, Can We Let Nature Regain Control?
-
Climate
In New Scramble for Africa, an Arab Sheikh Is Taking the Lead
-
WILDLIFE
If South Africa Ends Lion Breeding, What to Do With Captive Cats?
-
E360 Film Contest Winner
The Great Salt Lake and Its Web of Life Face an Uncertain Future
-
E360 Film Contest
On the Mekong, Sand Mining Threatens the River and a Way of Life
-
Food & Agriculture
As Armenian Fish Farming Expands, a Pristine Aquifer Is Drying Up
-
E360 Film Contest
In a Chilean Forest Reserve, the Remarkable Darwin’s Frog Endures
-
PLASTICS
Indonesia Cracks Down on the Scourge of Imported Plastic Waste