A major methane leak occurred in the United Kingdom earlier this year. The incident was spotted by a satellite, and it was considered a major loss as it could have supported the energy needs of thousands of homes for a year.
Methane Leak in the UK
Scientists have used satellites to find a methane leak over the UK for the first time. The greenhouse gas flows from a pipeline just north of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, according to satellite company GHGSat imagery.
GHGSat's satellite constellation, which uses spectroscopy to analyze the absorption of infrared light by methane molecules, was used to find the leak from orbit. The gas plume can be seen above territory just north of Cheltenham in images provided by the firm, with Bishop's Cleeve, a sizable village, to the east.
Methane is the primary component of natural gas, used as a fuel source for activities like home heating and food preparation worldwide. It is also a strong greenhouse gas, which means that releasing it into the atmosphere will worsen the impacts of climate change and global warming.
Experts estimate that the leak earlier this year emitted enough gas to power 7,500 households for a year, which is considered a significant loss. The reason for the leak has remained unknown. However, experts believe that aging infrastructure is to blame rather than sabotage, which was assumed to be the cause of the Nord Stream leak last year.
Researchers at the University of Leeds found this new methane leak in March, but it wasn't made public until today. According to the experts, it is the first time a methane leak in the UK has been documented by satellite rather than discovered on the ground.
According to Ph.D. student Emily Dowd from the university's School of Earth and Environment, the UK is not known to have major methane emissions on a worldwide scale. But, the satellite data suggests we might need to dig further to uncover previously undiscovered leaks.
A spokeswoman for GHGSat described the peak emission rate of 1,400 kg per hour during the methane leak as "not insignificant." The Baltic Sea leak from the Nord Stream pipeline, which grabbed headlines last year, was of a different magnitude-79,000 kg per hour.
One research suggested the Nord Stream breach had a small impact on global warming, so the emission from the Cheltenham leak shouldn't be worse.
What Is GHGSat?
GHGSat developed the first high-resolution system for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions from orbit. The company made a significant advancement in global emissions monitoring technology by creating the first sensor for tiny satellites to identify specific sources of methane (CH4) emissions from as high as 500 kilometers above the Earth's surface.
GHGSat imaging technology is revolutionizing how we see and quantify greenhouse gas emissions. Thanks to its proprietary image interferometer, it has made it possible to observe emissions like never before. Its satellites combine several light sources to produce an interference pattern that allows them to detect, measure, and pinpoint emissions from sources worldwide.
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