Written by Carol Rasmussen
Credit: Leslie Von Pless
In Brief:
Fixing just the worst leaks in the Permian Basin oilfield’s infrastructure could cut methane emissions by 55 tons an hour, according to a study by NASA, University of Arizona, and ASU.
About half of the biggest sources of the potent greenhouse gas methane in the Permian Basin oilfield are likely to be malfunctioning oilfield equipment, according to a month-long airborne study by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the University of Arizona, and Arizona State University.
Repeatedly measuring the size and persistence of emission sources using sensor-equipped aircraft, researchers found that repairing only the 123 sources that they found leaking most persistently on their flights would reduce methane emissions by 55 tons (50 metric tons) an hour. That’s equivalent to 5.5% of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s estimates of all methane emissions from oil and gas production in the entire United States.
The cause of Earth’s deepest earthquakes has been a mystery to science for more than a century, but a team of Carnegie scientists may have cracked the case. New research published provides evidence that fluids play a key role in deep-focus earthquakes which occur between 300 and 700 kilometers below the planet’s surface. The research team includes Carnegie scientists Steven
Carbon Mapper launches satellite program to pinpoint Methane and Carbon Dioxide super emitters – Geospatial World geospatialworld.net - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from geospatialworld.net Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Carbon Mapper Launches Satellite Program to Pinpoint Methane and Carbon Dioxide Super Emitters
SAN FRANCISCO, April 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/
Carbon Mapper, a new nonprofit organization, and its partners - the State of California, NASA s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA JPL), Planet, the University of Arizona, Arizona State University (ASU), High Tide Foundation and RMI - today announced a pioneering program to help improve understanding of and accelerate reductions in global methane and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. In addition, the Carbon Mapper consortium announced its plan to deploy a ground-breaking hyperspectral satellite constellation with the ability to pinpoint, quantify and track point-source methane and CO2 emissions.
An economic case for competing in the XPRIZE Rainforest contest (commentary)
by Jonah Wittkamper on 1 March 2021
In 2019, XPRIZE Rainforest opened its doors and challenged the world to develop new biodiversity assessment technologies by offering a $10 million prize for the best one.
In this commentary, Jonah Wittkamper, President of the Global Governance Philanthropy Network and co-founder of NEXUS, makes an economic argument for participating in the contest.
Wittkamper says a great deal of value could be unlocked with the ability to rapidly assess rainforest biodiversity.
This post is a commentary and does not necessarily reflect the views of Mongabay.
In 2019, XPRIZE Rainforest opened its doors and challenged the world to develop new biodiversity assessment technologies by offering a $10 million prize for the best one. The consequent mobilization will extend over 5 years, will inspire the creation of various new biodiversity tech companies, and can help us discover many ne