Imaging Underground Leaks below Sandy Soil

Plume of the Week! (Well, more of a methane “puddle” than a plume) – this is a simulated “garden variety” underground leak. QLM’s camera was developed initially for above-ground infrastructure and applications, so this is the first image of a below-ground leak measured by the QLM camera. It’s a medium-sized below-ground leak for a natural gas distribution system, at a metered (and QLM-measured) leak rate of about 1L/min (2 scfh, 0.04kg/h). Even with light winds (2m/s, 4.5mph), this methane “puddle” hugs the ground and resists being swept away by the wind because of the boundary condition at the ground and zero wind velocity there.