Satellite data analysis uncovers top 10 persistent methane sources

A list of the top 10 global regions where natural or anthropogenic sources emit methane on a continuous, "persistent" basis was recently published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.
The study analyzed data and measured emissions from hundreds of potential sources of methane based on .

Data from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P mission was used to study and estimate methane emissions at 217 potential locations, as shown on the map above.

The paper focused on sources that emit methane gradually over time, in contrast to "super-emitters"—typically oil and gas operations, or poorly managed landfills—which release disproportionately large amounts of methane but not on a continuous basis.
Measuring the problem

Sentinel-5P, the result of a close collaboration between ESA, the European Commission, the Netherlands Space Office and industry, carries the state-of-the-art Tropomi instrument, which is used to map trace gases including methane.

The study is based on a new methane concentration dataset and an algorithm developed by the University of Bremen as part of the ESA Climate Change Initiative Greenhouse Gas Project, as well as the ESA Earth System Science Hub projects, Methane CAMP and SMART-CH4.

According to Claus Zehner, ESA's Mission Manager for Sentinel-5P, "Sentinel-5P is currently the only satellite that provides the feasibility to detect on a global scale and on a daily basis."

A study by the University of Bremen has identified 217 potential persistent methane source regions, estimated their emissions and created a global map of their distribution. The data was from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite, taken over the four-year period 2018–2021. It identifies some of the major regions that emit methane on a persistent, continuous basis. Credit: ESA Climate Change Initiative GHG Project (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data, 2024)
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South Sudan atmospheric methane map 2021 average. Credit: European Space Agency
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Ten highest potential persistent methane emitting regions 2018–2021. Credit: European Space Agency
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The data used in this map of the global atmospheric methane average in 2021 was retrieved from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite, using the WFMD retrieval algorithm developed at the University of Bremen (Schneising et al., 2023). Areas in dark red have the highest methane concentrations of around 1900 parts per billion, while blue areas show lower methane concentration in the atmosphere of around 1700 parts per billion. Credit: ESA Climate Change Initiative GHG Project (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data, 2024)
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