University of California, Davis, atmospheric scientist Stephen
Conley is flying over the spine of California, tracing 600 miles
of Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s natural gas pipeline for
methane leaks. Specialized instruments on Conley’s plane allow
UC Davis researchers to detect gas leaks several miles downwind
from the source. “What sets us apart is we use atmospheric
science to solve the problem,” Conley said. “We can do things
with a little plane that you can’t do any other way.” Once the
plane detects the pollution sources, PG&E workers can repair the
leak, which reduces the amount of methane, a potent greenhouse
gas, released into the air. PG&E’s transmission pipeline is
routinely surveyed each year, typically by ground crews. But
accessing rural areas with difficult terrain can be time
consuming, expensive and unsafe for crews on the ground. Aerial
surveys often look for dead vegetation as an indicator of gas
leaks. Researchers say, however, that airplane surveys conducted
with scientific instruments e