The Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) identified more than 50 methane hotspots around the world.

 Improved satellite technology has rapidly enhanced the ability of scientists to find and analyse greenhouse gas emissions in recent years, something some governments hope will help companies detect and prevent methane emissions.

New NASA instrument detects methane ‘super-emitters’ from space

The Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) identified more than 50 methane hotspots around the world.

Imaging of a methane plume at least 4.8km (3 miles) long rising from a major landfill site, where methane is a byproduct of decomposition, south of Tehran, Iran, in this image released on October 25, 2022 by NASA [Google Earth/Maxar/NASA/JPL-Caltech/via Reuters]

Published On 26 Oct 202226 Oct 2022

NASA scientists, using a tool designed to study how dust affects climate, have identified more than 50 methane-emitting hotspots around the world, a development that could help combat the potent greenhouse gas.

NASA said on Tuesday that its Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) had identified more than 50 methane “super-emitters” in Central Asia, the Middle East and the southwestern United States since it was installed in July onboard the International Space Station.

The newly measured methane hotspots — some previously known and others just discovered — include sprawling oil and gas facilities and large landfill sites. Methane is responsible for roughly 30 percent of the global rise in temperatures to date.

“Reining in methane emissions is key to limiting global warming,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement, adding that the instrument will help “pinpoint” methane super-emitters so that such emissions can be stopped “at the source"...

READ MORE ^