FEBRUARY Jet Propulsion 2016 Laboratory VOLUME 46 NUMBER 2 Seeing the invisible By Mark Whalen Environmental disaster tracked by methane detectors JPL is playing a key role in tracking JPL airborne instruments a major methane leak at the Aliso Can- have measured a methane yon natural gas storage facility north of Los Angeles. leak at Aliso Canyon. Using infrared cameras, the Environ- mental Defense Fund determined the leak has released 150 million pounds of methane into the environment since its discovery in October. Methane, a greenhouse gas, can be 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trap- ping heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. NASA aircraft toting JPL’s Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) and Hyper Spectral Thermal Emission Spectrometer (HyTES) have been studying the leak. “Methane is “The aircraft provide a snapshot of construct how the Earth’s atmosphere invisible but these instruments are what methane gas plumes look like at moves in four dimensions.” able to see the concentrated plumes a given moment in time,” said Duren. Answers aren’t straightforward. Is of strong emission sources,” said JPL “But to interpret these observations, there a single plume of methane being researcher Riley Duren. we employ computer models to re- Continued on page 2 Ocean satellite working well By Mark Whalen Two JPL instruments are onboard Jason 3 Several weeks into their orbital mis- JPL manages Jason 3 and has pro- sion, the two JPL instruments on the vided a microwave radiometer and Jason 3 satellite have quickly begun GPS receiver for the mission, which producing valuable data on sea levels will begin full science operations after around the globe. a six-month checkout phase. Jason 3 “Initial results look very good,” said launched Jan. 17 from Vandenberg Air Project Manager Parag Vaze, who Force Base. and ocean forecasts, including helping added that the mission team is tuning Jason 3 will precisely measure the NOAA’s National Weather Service and calibrations before the satellite transi- height of 95 percent of the world’s other global weather and environmen- tions into an operational mode, which ice-free ocean every 10 days. The tal forecast agencies more accurately is planned for this spring. mission will improve weather, climate Continued on page 2 2 METHANE LEAK Continued from page 1 methane sources—gas pipelines, the Japanese Space Agency’s GOSAT landfills, oil fields, wastewater treat- satellite and the EO-1 Hyperion satel- released by the damaged well? Are ment facilities, refineries, natural seeps lite were also arranged to study this Universe there smaller plumes from other areas and dairies. It turns out that there is a unprecedented methane source. Data around the facility? How much meth- large landfill and oil field right next to processing, quality control, modeling ane is being trapped in the soil and Aliso Canyon, so Duren’s team disen- and interpretation are complex and then slowly released? tangled the methane emissions of the time-consuming. “Ultimately,” said Du- “The imagery we’re getting from the landfill and the oil field from those of ren, “the analysis of how much meth- aircraft is primarily used to help eval- the gas storage facility by mapping out ane was released and validating those uate the models, and also to under- an area of about 120 square kilometers results will likely take several months.” stand the processes that control the around Aliso Canyon. Duren also noted that planning was methane release,” said Duren. “So The Megacities project is funded already underway, before the leak was understanding what the source looks through 2017. From its post on Mount reported, for JPL to conduct a state- like close-up is where the imaging in- Wilson, another JPL instrument, the wide methane survey this summer with struments are important.” California Laboratory for Atmospheric the AVIRIS and HyTES instruments for Data produced by JPL will support Remote Sensing, or CLARS, has been the California Air Resources Board and decision making by local, state and scanning the L.A. Basin several times a Energy Commission. “We were busy national agencies and other stake- day since 2011 to measure carbon di- working on the task plan when this holders that are concerned about mit- oxide, carbon monoxide and methane, Aliso Canyon event started,” he said. igating greenhouse gas emissions, he simulating an imaging greenhouse gas “To the extent that we can assist with said. instrument on a geostationary satellite. remote sensing and apply an integrat- Duren has been actively involved in This instrument has also been instru- ed systems approach to detect and a larger emissions study in Southern mental in the Aliso Canyon study. quantify greenhouse gas emissions California. He is principal investigator “The sustained measurements from across Los Angeles, California, and for the Los Angeles Megacities Carbon the tower network and the CLARS someday globally, that’s what JPL is Project, an international, interagency measurements on Mount Wilson pro- contributing to the broader endeavor,” project which for two years has over- vide us with a near-continuous history said Duren. seen 14 monitoring stations from Vic- of when the leak started and how it’s Note: The Southern California Gas torville to San Clemente Island. evolved over time,” said Duren. He Company on Feb. 11 said the well was Southern California has numerous added that special observations by no longer leaking. JASON 3 Continued from page 1 and heat storage data is key to under- Meteorological Satellites. forecast the strength of tropical cy- standing global climate changes. Original plans called for Jason 3 clones. Data from Jason 3 will be used for to launch in 2013, said Vaze, but the More than 100 JPLers worked on Ja- other scientific, commercial and op- mission endured a number of delays to son 3, said Vaze. “All of their contribu- erational applications, including mod- work through various programmatic, tions were important to our success,” eling of deep-ocean waves; forecasts launch vehicle procurement and devel- he said. “Team members brought ex- of tides and currents for commer- opment challenges. pertise from many disciplines at JPL cial shipping and ship routing; coastal “I’m very pleased that our JPL team including instrument engineering, sci- forecasts to respond to environmental was never distracted by the external ence, systems engineering, mission challenges such as oil spills; coastal factors and did a great job deliver- assurance, ground data systems and modeling crucial for marine mammal ing excellent instruments on plan,” he business management.” and coral reef research; and forecasts said. “The launch of Jason 3 is very Measurements of sea-surface of El Niño and La Niña events. important to JPL and the team since height, or ocean-surface topogra- Jason 3 is led by the National Oce- many of them are continuing forward phy, reveal the speed and direction of anic and Atmospheric Administration toward working on the upcoming Ja- ocean currents and tell scientists how (NOAA) in partnership with NASA, the son-CS/Sentinel-6 and Surface Water much of the sun’s energy is stored by French space agency and the Europe- Ocean Topography missions.” the ocean. Combining ocean current an Organisation for the Exploitation of For more information, visit http:// www.nesdis.noaa.gov/jason-3. 3 JPL’s future: efficiency, innovation are key How the Lab does its work is just as important as what it produces Universe During the development of JPL’s of showing the great, innovative ideas 2025 strategy, it was recognized that that are being implemented across “how” the Lab accomplishes its work the Lab,” said James. “We’re now was just as important as “what” it pro- capturing that. If there are multiple duces. Lab leadership wants to ensure efforts along the same lines, we would that JPL is world class and leading like to align them, or at the very least edge in its processes and procedures provide opportunities to benefit from for getting work done. each other.” Deputy Director Larry James em- Management heard from JPLers in phasized the importance of focusing several surveys that they found it diffi- on this area. cult to find other innovative people or “Over the last two years, we’ve stood innovative efforts at JPL. James said up the Lab Management Council to this would be addressed by allowing broadly look at processes and inno- employees to create “communities of vations across the Lab,” said James. practice” to spark innovative ideas “There was no one entity doing that, focused on how to get their job done JPL Deputy Director Larry James ensuring that we continually improve most effectively. our productivity, efficiencies and work- ing conditions.” see whether or not somebody To move forward in this effort, “If you’ve got a great idea of how we do is already looking at this,” said JPL recently consolidated the things, first you can see whether or not James. “If not, here’s the chance Operations Management Coun- to post your idea for action. cil, responsible for funding JPL somebody is already looking at this. If not, “We want everyone to be con- initiatives, with the Laboratory here’s the chance to post your idea for action.” tinuously thinking: ‘How can I Management Council, the stra- JPL Deputy Director Larry James do this better?’ or ‘Do I have a tegic arm for JPL operations better idea?’,” said James. “We oversight. It made sense to com- want to capture and benefit from bine the two functions, said James. the creative ideas that JPLers generate “We will now have one council that A “ProcessGuru” portal site, which every day, regardless of how small they strategically looks at how we accom- will debut in the spring, will provide may seem to the idea originator.