Atmospheric scientists – who continue to be baffled as to its source – are now working to locate the origin of a very large mass of methane hovering over the Four Corners area of the southwestern United States. A report released last year revealed that the bubble is that country’s largest consolidation of greenhouse gases.
The study was released in conjunction with a satellite image showing the gas concentration. Four Corners is the only place in the U.S. where four states meet: Arizona, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. The heart of the methane concentration appears to be east of the actual Four Corners spot, approximately over Durango, Colorado.
Determining the source of the so-called methane hotspot could help reduce emissions of the gas, a key contributor to global warming. It is possible, of course, that the contents of the bubble could be sourced from various locations, not just one. Working together on the month-long study are atmospheric scientists from the University of Michigan, the University of Colorado,the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) .
Last year’s study from the University of Michigan and NASA was centered around images taken by a European satellite between 2003 and 2009. They clearly show a hot spot of methane in red – approximately half the size of Connecticut – over the region.
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SOURCE: National Monitor, Gregory Baskin
