Decadal decrease in Los Angeles methane emissions is much smaller than bottom-up estimates
Abstract Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, has a short atmospheric lifetime ( ~ 12 years), so that emissions reductions will have a rapid impact on climate forcing. In megacities such as Los Angeles (LA), natural gas (NG) leakage is the primary atmospheric methane source. The magnitudes and trends...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40964-w |
| _version_ | 1797558445481656320 |
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| author | Zhao-Cheng Zeng Thomas Pongetti Sally Newman Tomohiro Oda Kevin Gurney Paul I. Palmer Yuk L. Yung Stanley P. Sander |
| author_facet | Zhao-Cheng Zeng Thomas Pongetti Sally Newman Tomohiro Oda Kevin Gurney Paul I. Palmer Yuk L. Yung Stanley P. Sander |
| author_sort | Zhao-Cheng Zeng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, has a short atmospheric lifetime ( ~ 12 years), so that emissions reductions will have a rapid impact on climate forcing. In megacities such as Los Angeles (LA), natural gas (NG) leakage is the primary atmospheric methane source. The magnitudes and trends of fugitive NG emissions are largely unknown and need to be quantified to verify compliance with emission reduction targets. Here we use atmospheric remote sensing data to show that, in contrast to the observed global increase in methane emissions, LA area emissions decreased during 2011-2020 at a mean rate of (–1.57 ± 0.41) %/yr. However, the NG utility calculations indicate a much larger negative emissions trend of −5.8 %/yr. The large difference between top-down and bottom-up trends reflects the uncertainties in estimating the achieved emissions reductions. Actions taken in LA can be a blueprint for COP28 and future efforts to reduce methane emissions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:31:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-54ca3e0e812142039db4b08815f8205c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:31:32Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-54ca3e0e812142039db4b08815f8205c2023-11-20T10:00:54ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232023-09-011411910.1038/s41467-023-40964-wDecadal decrease in Los Angeles methane emissions is much smaller than bottom-up estimatesZhao-Cheng Zeng0Thomas Pongetti1Sally Newman2Tomohiro Oda3Kevin Gurney4Paul I. Palmer5Yuk L. Yung6Stanley P. Sander7Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of TechnologyJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of TechnologyGeological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of TechnologyEarth from Space Institute, Universities Space Research Association (USRA)School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona UniversitySchool of GeoSciences, University of EdinburghGeological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of TechnologyGeological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of TechnologyAbstract Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, has a short atmospheric lifetime ( ~ 12 years), so that emissions reductions will have a rapid impact on climate forcing. In megacities such as Los Angeles (LA), natural gas (NG) leakage is the primary atmospheric methane source. The magnitudes and trends of fugitive NG emissions are largely unknown and need to be quantified to verify compliance with emission reduction targets. Here we use atmospheric remote sensing data to show that, in contrast to the observed global increase in methane emissions, LA area emissions decreased during 2011-2020 at a mean rate of (–1.57 ± 0.41) %/yr. However, the NG utility calculations indicate a much larger negative emissions trend of −5.8 %/yr. The large difference between top-down and bottom-up trends reflects the uncertainties in estimating the achieved emissions reductions. Actions taken in LA can be a blueprint for COP28 and future efforts to reduce methane emissions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40964-w |
| spellingShingle | Zhao-Cheng Zeng Thomas Pongetti Sally Newman Tomohiro Oda Kevin Gurney Paul I. Palmer Yuk L. Yung Stanley P. Sander Decadal decrease in Los Angeles methane emissions is much smaller than bottom-up estimates Nature Communications |
| title | Decadal decrease in Los Angeles methane emissions is much smaller than bottom-up estimates |
| title_full | Decadal decrease in Los Angeles methane emissions is much smaller than bottom-up estimates |
| title_fullStr | Decadal decrease in Los Angeles methane emissions is much smaller than bottom-up estimates |
| title_full_unstemmed | Decadal decrease in Los Angeles methane emissions is much smaller than bottom-up estimates |
| title_short | Decadal decrease in Los Angeles methane emissions is much smaller than bottom-up estimates |
| title_sort | decadal decrease in los angeles methane emissions is much smaller than bottom up estimates |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40964-w |
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