By Ronica Stromberg
In recent years, scientists have detected methane gas coming from cattle burps and manure and nitrous oxide gas coming from nitrogen fertilizers. Scientists have trouble, though, pinpointing the amounts of these two gases in the air because the equipment lacks accuracy. Now a University of Nebraska-Lincoln researcher is working to finetune the equipment.
Xiangmin Sun, a micrometeorologist who grew up on a farm in China, has been carrying out research at Mead since July 1 to improve how to measure methane and nitrous oxide. Along with carbon dioxide, the two gases make up the main greenhouse gases identified as causing climate change. Carbon dioxide appears in the atmosphere in large quantities and can be accurately measured with open-path gas analyzers. Methane and nitrous oxide cannot.
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