NASA detects more than 50 super-ejectors of methane from space: “Unique opportunity to reduce emissions from human activities” | Science

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ScienceNASA has detected more than 50 super-ejectors of methane on Earth from space. This concerns oil and gas facilities and landfills in Iran, Turkmenistan and the US, among others. The existence of certain emission clouds was not yet known to scientists. “Some of the methane plumes that EMIT has detected are among the largest ever seen,” researcher Andrew Thorpe told Reuters news agency.

EMIT stands for Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation and is a measuring device that has been attached to the International Space Station since July. The instrument was launched into space to investigate the effect of dust in the atmosphere on climate change, but it turns out to have another quality. EMIT can also very accurately detect the presence of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, on Earth, NASA reports.

This methane plume was detected south of Tehran in Iran. It is 4.8 kilometers long and comes from a large landfill. © NASA/JPL-Caltech

Since the installation of the imaging spectrometer on the ISS in July, scientists have been able to map more than 50 super-ejectors of methane. Typically, these are sites or sectors in Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Southwestern United States that are involved in agriculture, waste disposal, or fossil fuels.

For example, in the atmosphere south of the Iranian capital Tehran, a methane plume of just under five kilometers was observed at a large landfill. Methane is one of the substances released during waste processing. In Turkmenistan, a cluster of 12 methane plumes was spotted near an oil and gas infrastructure. Some of those clouds are more than 30 kilometers long, according to NASA. An oil field in the US state of New Mexico was also identified as a super emitter: south of the city of Carlsbad, EMIT was able to uncover a methane plume of three kilometers.

The huge methane plumes in Iran and the US were new to the scientists, Reuters writes.

A three-kilometer plume of methane was also spotted in the US state of New Mexico.

A three-kilometer plume of methane was also spotted in the US state of New Mexico. © NASA/JPL-Caltech

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Unlike carbon dioxide — which lingers in the atmosphere for centuries — methane only lasts for about ten years. It means that the reduction in methane emissions has a more direct effect on global warming.

And NASA researchers realize that too. “Reducing methane emissions is the key to limiting global warming,” said Bill Nelson of the US Space Agency. “This new development will not only help researchers better detect methane leaks, but also provide insight into how to address them more quickly.” Researcher David Thompson speaks of exceptional results. “It is a unique opportunity to identify sources of methane and reduce emissions from human activities,” he says.

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