Barometric-pumping controls fugitive gas emissions from a vadose zone natural gas release.

Subsurface natural gas release from leaking oil and gas wells is a major environmental concern. Gas migration can cause aquifer contamination, explosive conditions in soil gas, and greenhouse gas emissions. Gas migration is controlled by complex interacting processes, thus constraining the distribution and magnitude of "fugitive gas" emissions remains a challenge.

Hydro-biogeochemical impacts of fugitive methane on a shallow unconfined aquifer.

Oil and gas development can result in natural gas migration into shallow groundwater. Methane (CH), the primary component of natural gas, can subsequently react with solutes and minerals in the aquifer to create byproducts that affect groundwater chemistry. Hydro-biogeochemical processes induced by fugitive gas from leaky oil and gas wells are currently not well understood.