High Methane Levels in LA

The Los Angeles basin from Mt. Wilson.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Science Daily posted an article about a group of scientists based in LA at the top of Mt. Wilson who have an instrument that can register the carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gas levels in the air of the Los Angeles basin. The instrument is called a spectrometer and belong the the California Laboratory for Atmospheric Remote Sensing (CLARS).

The spectrometer essentially surveys different sites (out of 28) and calculates how much of the pollutants are in the air, as well as reads the clean air above the mountain to compare. Before using this instrument, methane levels in LA were calculated by compiling estimates from urban methane sources (landfills, gas pipe leaks, etc.). According to this article, the spectrometer shows much higher readings than the estimates suggested, marking methane levels at 430,000 US tons per year. With an instrument like this, we can have more accurate readings of our pollution levels, and even use readings of higher concentration areas to try and pinpoint sources of pollution, giving us more to work with as we try to prevent further pollution.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150116144624.htm