Grand Challenges: Remediation of Methane, Water, and Heat Waste

Mapping Maryland’s Methane: UMD Initiative Takes Flight

March 11, 2025

Grand Challenges Team Engages Students and Statewide Partners in Methane and Waste Heat and Water Remediation Project

September 30, 2024
 

Solving the Mystery of the Vapor Plumes on Campus

February 26, 2024
 

UMD Scientists ‘Fingerprint’ Methane to Track a Climate Change Culprit

November 27, 2023
 

Behind the Wheel or in the Cockpit, Researcher Helps Marylanders Breathe Easier

April 5, 2023

The human impact on the environment and climate are critical concerns locally, nationally, and globally. The University of Maryland campus is a microcosm of many of these urban and suburban environmental impacts. Stream and air contamination arises from methane emissions, CO2 emissions, pipeline water loss, and storm drains that receive heat, chemical and sewer waste. All of these are consequences of human activities and can be mitigated following adequate monitoring. This student-centric project is focused on environmental and climate impact with a local campus phase, a State of Maryland phase, and a plan to leverage results into a national-scale, externally funded initiative. The team is using geophysical instruments to identify, map, and measure air and water contaminant sources on campus, in particular methane emissions and steam/heat/water waste (in collaboration with UMD Facilities Management). The team will also conduct methane emission mapping excursions within the state of Maryland using aircraft outfitted with UMD methane sensors flown by pilots from the Maryland Civil Air Patrol (Auxiliary to the US Air Force). In coordination with campus and state authorities, the team will analyze the results to produce recommendations for the joint remediation of coupled environmental quality challenges and develop the basis for a national strategy.