Some of the world’s worst emitters of methane have been caught out by NASA from space.
NASA was already conducting a mission to map key minerals in dust-producing deserts across the globe.
It hoped that the data from the EMIT mission (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation) would help countries increase their understanding of how airborne dust affects the climate.
But it turns out it also can detect large concentrations of methane – a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.
In the data collected since EMIT was installed on the International Space Station in July, scientists have identified more than 50 super-emitters throughout the world – but especially in Central Asia, the Middle East, and the southwestern US.
NASA said these super emitters were facilities, equipment, and other infrastructure, usually in the fossil-fuel, waste, or agriculture sectors.
One facility was a major landfill south of Tehran, Iran, which had a 4.8km-long methane plume billowing into the atmosphere.
“Reining in methane emissions is key to limiting global warming,” said NASA administrator Bill Nelson.
“This exciting new development will not only help researchers better pinpoint where methane leaks are coming from, but also provide insight on how they can be addressed – quickly.”
According to the United Nations Environment programme, Methane is about 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.
And NASA reckons the benefits of scanning it from space are obvious, with the ISS able to cover large areas of the planet, but also pinpointing areas as small as a soccer field.
“The International Space Station and NASA’s more than two dozen satellites and instruments in space have long been invaluable in determining changes to the Earth’s climate. EMIT is proving to be a critical tool in our toolbox to measure this potent greenhouse gas – and stop it at the source,” said Nelson.
New Zealand is also contributing to a space programme that aims to target methane emissions.
MethaneSAT is the first space mission funded by the New Zealand government – in collaboration with the USA.
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