Publish Date: January 22, 2015
Article Source: The Boston Globe
Article Link: www.aer.com/news-events/in-the-news/2015/leaks-boston-area-gas-pipes-exceed-estimates
Media article link: "Leaks in Boston area gas pipes exceed estimates" in The Boston Globe.
"The amount of methane leaking from natural gas pipelines, storage facilities, and other sources in the Boston areas is as much as three times greater than previously estimated...according to a new study by scientists at Harvard University".
AER scientists contributed atmospheric transport modeling and research expertise to the new study by Harvard University, which is "the first of its kind to quantify methane emissions from natural gas leaks in an urban area". AER’s Thomas Nehrkorn, PhD, adapted, ran, and evaluated the results of the WRF-STILT model. This model is a linchpin of multiple greenhouse gas-related efforts worldwide and has been developed at AER over the past decade with support from NSF, NASA, NOAA, the intelligence community, and private industry. A research team of AER scientists worked with Dr. Nehrkorn on the project including Jennifer Hegarty, Marikate Mountain, John Henderson, and the late Dr. Janusz Eluszkiewicz.
Read the research study, “Methane emissions from natural gas infrastructure and use in the urban region of Boston, Massachusetts”.