Futurism – Google Earth’s Street View cars are being used for more than just maps: scientists have equipped them with pollution trackers so they can help spot natural gas leaks.

“…A team led by researchers from the Colorado State University (CSU), the Environmental Defense Fund, and Google Earth Outreach came up with a creative way of monitoring [methane gas]  leaks. They detail their project in a study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. The team added pollution trackers to Google Earth’s Street View cars. The tracker uses an infrared laser that act as a methane analyzer, capable of identifying methane fumes in real time. Previously, this could only be done in labs using a gas chromatography analysis…”