98%
921
2 minutes
20
The Nord Stream pipeline leaks on 26 September 2022 released 465 ± 20 kt of methane into the atmosphere, which is the largest recorded transient anthropogenic methane emission event. While most of the gas escaped directly to the atmosphere, a fraction dissolved in the water. So far, studies on the fate of this dissolved methane rely on pipeline volumetric estimates or spatially sparse concentration measurements and ocean models. Here, we use atmospheric measurements with broad spatial coverage obtained from an airborne platform to estimate outgassing of 19-48 t h on 5 October 2022. Our results broadly agree with ocean models but reveal uncertainties such as inaccuracies in their spatial emission distribution. Thus, we provide a data-driven constraint on the fate of the methane from the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea. These results demonstrate the benefit of a fast-response airborne mission to track a dynamic methane emission event.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11735838 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53780-7 | DOI Listing |
Ultrason Sonochem
March 2025
Bioprocess Engineering, AlgaePARC, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address:
Microalgae can provide a more sustainable alternative to traditional food systems which are dominated by terrestrial crops. The main economic challenges, however, relate to the downstream processing of microalgae and the valorization of their side streams. The present work explores the scientific principles and data required to develop an integrated biorefinery-on-a-chip, which replaces many of the common downstream processing unit operations by employing acoustic fields.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNature
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and Resources of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.
The amount of methane released to the atmosphere from the Nord Stream subsea pipeline leaks remains uncertain, as reflected in a wide range of estimates. A lack of information regarding the temporal variation in atmospheric emissions has made it challenging to reconcile pipeline volumetric (bottom-up) estimates with measurement-based (top-down) estimates. Here we simulate pipeline rupture emission rates and integrate these with methane dissolution and sea-surface outgassing estimates to model the evolution of atmospheric emissions from the leaks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Commun
January 2025
Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.
The Nord Stream pipeline leaks on 26 September 2022 released 465 ± 20 kt of methane into the atmosphere, which is the largest recorded transient anthropogenic methane emission event. While most of the gas escaped directly to the atmosphere, a fraction dissolved in the water. So far, studies on the fate of this dissolved methane rely on pipeline volumetric estimates or spatially sparse concentration measurements and ocean models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Commun
January 2025
Department of Marine Science, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, Göteborg, 405 30, Sweden.
A suspected 443-486 kt of methane escaped from the Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022 at four explosion sites across three pipelines. Much of this methane rapidly escaped to the atmosphere, while an unknown amount was dissolved. We use sustained high-resolution observations of methane concentrations from autonomous gliders and an instrumented ship of opportunity to reveal the timing and spread of dissolved methane across different Baltic regions and marine protected areas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Total Environ
January 2025
Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente del Piemonte (ARPA Piemonte), Dipartimento Territoriale di Torino (Piemonte Nord Ovest), Via Pio VII 9, 10135 Torino, Italy.
The study investigated the contribution of five potential point source categories on the occurrence of 19 highly hazardous perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in freshwater from the Turin metropolitan area (Italy) and assessed the quality of groundwater and surface water in compliance with European and Italian guidelines. PFASs were revealed in 29 and 24 % of the investigated shallow (unconfined aquifers) and deep (semi- and confined aquifers) wells with a total concentration, as a sum (ΣPFASs), of 0.01-0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF