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.
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. A study describing their work is published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
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.
