gazetracking

Gazetracking refers to techniques and technologies used to detect, quantify, and map gas concentrations and plumes in the atmosphere. It involves both in-situ sensors and remote sensing devices to identify emissions of methane, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and other gases. Applications include environmental monitoring, industrial safety, and climate research.

Methods used in gazetracking include ground-based and mobile sensors using laser-based absorption techniques (such as cavity ring-down spectroscopy and tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and photoacoustic spectroscopy. Aerial methods deploy unmanned aerial vehicles with gas sensors and plume-tracking systems. Remote sensing uses LIDAR-based differential absorption (DIAL) and satellite spectrometers (for example, TROPOMI and OCO-2) to observe gas distributions over large areas and at different altitudes.

Applications encompass detecting methane leaks in natural gas infrastructure, identifying fugitive emissions from industry, assessing urban air quality, and monitoring volcanic or geothermal gas emissions. Gazetracking data support climate studies and compliance reporting, enabling estimation of emission rates and trends over time.

Data analysis often combines measurements with inverse modeling and data fusion to estimate emission sources and fluxes. Calibration, uncertainty quantification, and accounting for atmospheric and meteorological conditions are important considerations in interpretation.

Limitations and challenges include sensitivity thresholds, interference from atmospheric conditions and humidity, calibration needs, instrument cost, and the complexity of integrating heterogeneous data. Privacy and regulatory considerations may arise in dense urban deployments, influencing deployment strategies and data access.