New observations which no doubt will help refine climate models: U.S. Methane 'Hot Spot' Bigger than Expected - NASA Science Oct. 9, 2014: One small “hot spot” in the U.S. Southwest is responsible for producing the largest concentration of the greenhouse gas methane seen over the United States – more than triple the standard ground-based estimate -- according to a new study of satellite data by scientists at NASA and the University of Michigan. Methane is very efficient at trapping heat in the atmosphere and, like carbon dioxide, it contributes to global warming. The hot spot, near the Four Corners intersection of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah, covers only about 2,500 square miles (6,500 square kilometers), or half the size of Connecticut. There appears to be another spot in California. Anyone know that area? Bob Wilson
Interesting! I've gone through this spot (part of it tribal land) a few years back and you see oil rigs left and right. Perhaps some unreported leaks? Natural occurrence? I would hate to see how Canadian and Siberian permafrost methane maps look like in August. Edit: BTW it is really close to Mesa Verde Google Maps
I grew up in Oklahoma and remember how many oil fields flared their natural gas. Many pumps were powered by it. Later, the fields use electric motors on what can only be described as ricky-ticky power lines. But it looks like the natural gas that was considered a waste now has value and is being captured. Bob Wilson
I've gone through Oklahoma twice on a way to West Coast. First time from St Luis on I-44 to I-40, 2nd time on I-40 from Arkansas side. It is interesting how landscape changes on the way from east to west, from green forested to prairies in the West. Looking again and it looks like we came slightly to the west through Monument valley and valley of the Gods to Cortes.. Camped at Mesa Verde above the spot. I suspect methane could be a natural occurrence due to geology, but it may be related to poor resource management.
Bob, the California spot is in the agricultural Central Valley. Any crop that gets flooded fields could release methane. Now there is drought, maybe less field flooding, and good if the satellite folks could take another look. SCIAMACHY You call them, please. I am doing extinctions and krill and nematodes and occasionally, a bit of real work.
We may have an answer:. Looking for something else, I found: California has long been one of the nation's most important oil-producing states, and the San Joaquin Valley has long since eclipsed the Los Angeles Basin as the state's primary oil production region. Scattered oil wells on small oil fields are found throughout the region, and several enormous extraction facilities – most notably near Lost Hills and Taft, including the enormous Midway-Sunset Oil Field, the third-largest oil field in the United States – are veritable forests of pumps. Shell operated a major refinery in Bakersfield; it was sold in 2005 to Flying J, a Salt Lake-based firm that operates truck stops and refineries. Flying J's bankruptcy in 2009 resulted in the refinery being shut down.[8] The oil and gas fields in Kern County are receiving increased attention since the July 2009 announcement by Occidental Petroleum of significant discovery of oil and gas reserves[9] Even prior to this discovery the region retains more oil reserves than any other part of California. Of California fields outside of the San Joaquin Valley, only the Wilmington Oil Field in Los Angeles County has untapped reserves greater than 100,000,000 barrels (16,000,000 m3), while six fields in the San Joaquin Valley (Midway-Sunset, Kern River, South Belridge, Elk Hills, Cymric, and Lost Hills) each have reserves exceeeding 100,000,000 barrels (16,000,000 m3) of oil.[10] - Source: San Joaquin Valley - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Bob Wilson
