Satellites reveal countries emitting super greenhouse gases

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The gas is the second largest contributor to global warming, after carbon dioxide, and has a useful life in the atmosphere of 10 years.

Isabella Oliveira

7 hours ago

After NASA, three European Space Agency satellites are being used to monitor emitters of methane, a greenhouse gas, around the world.

Gas is the second largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide. Despite this, it has a useful life of about 10 years in the atmosphere, meaning that global levels of the gas could be reduced in just a decade, mitigating the increase in global warming.

Super methane emitters are those that release a large amount of the gas, disproportionate to other emitters. Sources can be, for example, industrial facilities such as oil and gas operations and coal mines.

To identify them, scientists jointly use the Copernicus Sentinel-5-P, Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 satellites. The first reveals the presence of methane gas in the world on a daily basis, while the second identifies leak locations. Third monitors drop out every day. Together, they allow for a more accurate result.

Previously, the process was entirely manual, explains Berend Schuette, from the Netherlands Space Research Institute (SRON). Now, simpler and more precise monitoring is helping combat extreme greenhouse gas emissions.

“This information is used by the United Nations International Methane Emissions Observatory to find a solution in cooperation with the responsible companies or authorities,” he said.

The article was published in the academic journal Atmospheric chemistry and physics. Check out the super methane emissions map below: