SIT Graduate Institute/SIT Study Abroad SIT Digital Collections Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection SIT Study Abroad Spring 2017 Investigating geothermally-sourced H2S pollution in the Reykjavík area: a case study of early March 2017. Shawnee Traylor SIT Study Abroad Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection Part of the Eastern European Studies Commons, Environmental Engineering Commons, and the Environmental Studies Commons Recommended Citation Traylor, Shawnee, "Investigating geothermally-sourced H2S pollution in the Reykjavík area: a case study of early March 2017." (2017). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 2591. https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/2591 This Unpublished Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the SIT Study Abroad at SIT Digital Collections. It has been accepted for inclusion in Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection by an authorized administrator of SIT Digital Collections. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Investigating geothermally-sourced H2S pollution in the Reykjavík area: a case study of early March 2017. Mountains near Hengill, the volcanic area fueling Hellisheiði Power plant. Source: Shawnee Traylor Shawnee Traylor, Columbia University Advisor: Dr. Þröstur Þorsteinsson Academic Director: Jennifer Smith School for International Training: Iceland and Greenland: Climate Change in the Arctic, Spring 2017 Submitted 25 May 2017 1 Table of Contents: Abstract .............................................................................................................................. 4 Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................. 4 1. Introduction 1.1 Geothermal Energy in Iceland .................................................................................. 5 1.2 Health Effects of Hydrogen Sulfide Gas .................................................................... 5 1.3 Aims of Study ............................................................................................................. 6 1.4 Global Significance ................................................................................................... 6 2. Context 2.1 Hazards of Geothermal Energy ................................................................................. 7 2.2 Use of Gaussian Plume Modeling ............................................................................. 8 2.3 Air Pollution in Reykjavík .......................................................................................... 8 3. Methods 3.1 Hydrogen Sulfide Measurements ............................................................................... 9 3.2 Weather Conditions ................................................................................................. 10 3.3 Gaussian Plume Model ............................................................................................ 10 4. Results 4.1 Conditions of early March, 2017 ............................................................................. 12 4.2 Weather Conditions of 2008-2017 Peaks ................................................................ 15 4.3 Long-Range Trends ................................................................................................. 20 5. Discussion 5.1 Meteorological Conditions ...................................................................................... 23 5.2 Source Strength ........................................................................................................ 23 5.3 Frequency of Peak Events ....................................................................................... 24 6. Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 25 7. References ..................................................................................................................... 25 2 List of Tables and Figures: Figure 1 ................................................................................................................................ 9 Figure 2 .............................................................................................................................. 11 Figure 3. ............................................................................................................................. 12 Figure 4 .............................................................................................................................. 13 Figure 5 .............................................................................................................................. 13 Figure 6. ............................................................................................................................. 13 Figure 7 .............................................................................................................................. 14 Figure 8. ............................................................................................................................. 15 Figure 9 .............................................................................................................................. 16 Figure 10 ............................................................................................................................ 17 Figure 11 ............................................................................................................................ 18 Figure 12 ............................................................................................................................ 19 Figure 13 ............................................................................................................................ 20 Figure 14 ............................................................................................................................ 21 Figure 15 ............................................................................................................................ 21 Figure 16 ............................................................................................................................ 22 Figure 17 ............................................................................................................................ 22 Table 1 ............................................................................................................................... 14 3 Abstract As geothermal energy becomes more widely implemented globally, it is critical to have an accurate assessment of the costs and benefits this technology may pose in order to plan, prevent, and mitigate pollution. Meteorological data sets from the Icelandic Met Office were analyzed in conjunction with hydrogen sulfide (H2S) levels in the Reykjavík area as a case study in the meteorological conditions leading to elevated H2S levels (>50 µg m-3) on March 1-3, 2017. Primary variables of interest were wind speed and direction, temperature, atmospheric stability, and humidity. Climate change is predicted to weaken the Gulf Stream, influencing all of the aforementioned meteorological factors and potentially affecting the frequency of these high concentration events in Iceland. It was found that peaks are most likely to occur in periods with cold (mean: -0.1 °C, median: - 1.2 °C), low velocity (mean: 2.7m/s), easterly winds (mean: 95°), while humidity did not play a significant role. The results of this initial analysis informed the subsequent investigation of the meteorological time series of H2S levels from 2008-April 2017, which supported the previous findings regarding meteorological conditions. The primary goal was to identify similar peak events and search for changes in the frequency of H2S peaks over the past decade. It appears that the introduction of H2S sequestering technology has had a positive effect on reducing the frequency of high H2S events in the Reykjavík area, even when controlling for meteorological effects. Acknowledgements It is my privilege to thank my advisor, Dr. Þröstur Þorsteinsson from Háskóli Íslands’ Institute of Earth Sciences, for his patience, guidance, and enthusiasm that allowed this project to come to fruition. I also extend a heartfelt thank you to my academic advisor back in New York, Dr. Simon Bird, for the endless inspiration and support during times of frustration. It is with immeasurable gratitude that I thank Dr. Shashwat Vajpeyi from Columbia University’s Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering for his invaluable guidance and support during this project, and life in general. I would like to extend my gratitude to the wonderful people of Ísafjörður—to my host parents, Matta and Gummi, and my dear friends Hákon and Ingvi for keeping me smiling and helping me make the most of my time in paradise. Additionally, thank you to the people I met in Nuuk, particularly Kira, for sharing so much. 4 Finally, I would like to thank the SIT Academic Director and Coordinator, Jennifer Smith and Daniel Govoni, for their support and guidance throughout the entire semester. Thank you for the memorable experiences and many discussions about The Singularity. Introduction 1.1 Geothermal Energy in Iceland Global dependency on hydrocarbon energy sources has increased the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and drastically changed the energy budget of the earth (IPCC, 2014). Renewable energy sources are a critical component in order to mitigating