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ZME Science: NASA's methane satellite just mapped its first plumes
https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/nasas-methane-satellite-just-mapped-its-first-plumes/NASA’s methane satellite just mapped its first plumes
Methane is a big problem for our climate. This satellite can now see it from above.
by Mihai Andrei October 17, 2024
On Sept. 19, the imaging spectrometer on the Carbon Mapper Coalition’s Tanager-1 satellite detected this methane plume in Karachi, Pakistan, extending nearly 2½ miles (4 kilometers) from a landfill. Credit: Carbon Mapper/Planet Labs PBC
Methane emissions are often underestimated and underreported, posing a much bigger problem than we once thought. Methane is a greenhouse gas up to 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after release. It’s responsible for about 30% of global warming since pre-industrial times. Yet, because methane can leak from oil wells, landfills, and other sources without immediate detection, it’s often called the “invisible” problem. But this is about to change.
With the launch of the Tanager-1 satellite by the Carbon Mapper Coalition, methane leaks from a variety of industries and sites can be detected from space with unprecedented accuracy. Not only is this satellite a game changer for methane, but it also tracks carbon dioxide emissions — another crucial greenhouse gas contributing to climate change.
Now, the instrument has taken its first true measurements, and it’s already very useful.
A New Era in Greenhouse Gas Detection
The Carbon Mapper Coalition’s Tanager-1 satellite was launched with one clear goal: to identify and measure methane and carbon dioxide emissions in real-time across the globe. In the past, pinpointing leaks of these potent gases required on-the-ground investigations. This, naturally, could take considerable time and resources. But, with the arrival of this new satellite technology, emissions detection is entering a new era of speed, precision, and global reach.
…
Check out https://data.carbonmapper.org/
Methane is a big problem for our climate. This satellite can now see it from above.
by Mihai Andrei October 17, 2024
On Sept. 19, the imaging spectrometer on the Carbon Mapper Coalition’s Tanager-1 satellite detected this methane plume in Karachi, Pakistan, extending nearly 2½ miles (4 kilometers) from a landfill. Credit: Carbon Mapper/Planet Labs PBC
Methane emissions are often underestimated and underreported, posing a much bigger problem than we once thought. Methane is a greenhouse gas up to 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after release. It’s responsible for about 30% of global warming since pre-industrial times. Yet, because methane can leak from oil wells, landfills, and other sources without immediate detection, it’s often called the “invisible” problem. But this is about to change.
With the launch of the Tanager-1 satellite by the Carbon Mapper Coalition, methane leaks from a variety of industries and sites can be detected from space with unprecedented accuracy. Not only is this satellite a game changer for methane, but it also tracks carbon dioxide emissions — another crucial greenhouse gas contributing to climate change.
Now, the instrument has taken its first true measurements, and it’s already very useful.
A New Era in Greenhouse Gas Detection
The Carbon Mapper Coalition’s Tanager-1 satellite was launched with one clear goal: to identify and measure methane and carbon dioxide emissions in real-time across the globe. In the past, pinpointing leaks of these potent gases required on-the-ground investigations. This, naturally, could take considerable time and resources. But, with the arrival of this new satellite technology, emissions detection is entering a new era of speed, precision, and global reach.
…
It’s fascinating, in a sort of terrifying way…