Airborne observations reveal the fate of the methane from the Nord Stream pipelines
Abstract 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...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53780-7 |
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| author | Friedemann Reum Julia Marshall Henry C. Bittig Lutz Bretschneider Göran Broström Anusha L. Dissanayake Theo Glauch Klaus-Dirk Gottschaldt Jonas Gros Heidi Huntrieser Astrid Lampert Michael Lichtenstern Scot M. Miller Martin Mohrmann Falk Pätzold Magdalena Pühl Gregor Rehder Anke Roiger |
| author_facet | Friedemann Reum Julia Marshall Henry C. Bittig Lutz Bretschneider Göran Broström Anusha L. Dissanayake Theo Glauch Klaus-Dirk Gottschaldt Jonas Gros Heidi Huntrieser Astrid Lampert Michael Lichtenstern Scot M. Miller Martin Mohrmann Falk Pätzold Magdalena Pühl Gregor Rehder Anke Roiger |
| author_sort | Friedemann Reum |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract 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−1 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c7a25e953f58417d9583f05688f4952d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-c7a25e953f58417d9583f05688f4952d2025-01-19T12:30:36ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-01-0116111110.1038/s41467-024-53780-7Airborne observations reveal the fate of the methane from the Nord Stream pipelinesFriedemann Reum0Julia Marshall1Henry C. Bittig2Lutz Bretschneider3Göran Broström4Anusha L. Dissanayake5Theo Glauch6Klaus-Dirk Gottschaldt7Jonas Gros8Heidi Huntrieser9Astrid Lampert10Michael Lichtenstern11Scot M. Miller12Martin Mohrmann13Falk Pätzold14Magdalena Pühl15Gregor Rehder16Anke Roiger17Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Institut für Physik der AtmosphäreDeutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Institut für Physik der AtmosphäreLeibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research WarnemündeTechnische Universität Braunschweig, Institute of Flight GuidanceUniversity of Gothenburg, Department of Marine SciencesIndependent Researcher, EnvSolnDeutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Institut für Physik der AtmosphäreDeutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Institut für Physik der AtmosphäreIndependent ResearcherDeutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Institut für Physik der AtmosphäreTechnische Universität Braunschweig, Institute of Flight GuidanceDeutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Institut für Physik der AtmosphäreJohns Hopkins UniversityUniversity of Gothenburg, Department of Marine SciencesTechnische Universität Braunschweig, Institute of Flight GuidanceDeutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Institut für Physik der AtmosphäreLeibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research WarnemündeDeutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Institut für Physik der AtmosphäreAbstract 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−1 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.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53780-7 |
| spellingShingle | Friedemann Reum Julia Marshall Henry C. Bittig Lutz Bretschneider Göran Broström Anusha L. Dissanayake Theo Glauch Klaus-Dirk Gottschaldt Jonas Gros Heidi Huntrieser Astrid Lampert Michael Lichtenstern Scot M. Miller Martin Mohrmann Falk Pätzold Magdalena Pühl Gregor Rehder Anke Roiger Airborne observations reveal the fate of the methane from the Nord Stream pipelines Nature Communications |
| title | Airborne observations reveal the fate of the methane from the Nord Stream pipelines |
| title_full | Airborne observations reveal the fate of the methane from the Nord Stream pipelines |
| title_fullStr | Airborne observations reveal the fate of the methane from the Nord Stream pipelines |
| title_full_unstemmed | Airborne observations reveal the fate of the methane from the Nord Stream pipelines |
| title_short | Airborne observations reveal the fate of the methane from the Nord Stream pipelines |
| title_sort | airborne observations reveal the fate of the methane from the nord stream pipelines |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53780-7 |
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