NASA announced that methane emission sites identified by the International Space Station climate survey where methane, a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere, is released in large quantities on Earth, far more powerful than carbon dioxide . NASA calls more than 50 methane emission zones that are detected as major emitters and is paying attention to the key to curbing global warming.
The NASA EMIT Surface Mineral Dust Source Survey aims to increase understanding of the impact of major earthquakes on humanity by detecting airborne mineral dust with satellites. However, EMIT has proven that it has the ability to detect the presence of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, as well as mineral dust, so it has been announced that it is possible to map a place on earth where large amounts of methane are emitted.
NASA refers to all facilities, equipment, and other infrastructure that emit large amounts of methane from fossil fuels, industrial waste, and agriculture as super-emitters. Super emitters have been identified at more than 50 locations in Central Asia, the Middle East and the southwestern United States, according to data collected since EMIT was installed on the International Space Station in July. For example, methane found off the coast of the Caspian Sea in Turkmenistan is said to have spread over 32 km.
It is estimated that methane is 80 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere per ton than carbon dioxide for 20 years after its release. On the other hand, it is believed that carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for centuries, while it is believed that methane will only last for 10 years. In other words, reducing methane emissions makes the short-term effects on the atmosphere easier to see and can clearly curb the warming process.
Controlling methane emissions is the key to curbing global warming, says NASA. He added that achieving greenhouse gas mapping is only part of EMIT’s potential. EMIT is expected to identify hundreds of superemitters by repeating observations from a wide range of locations with good views of the International Space Station. He also emphasized the significance of the project, saying that, through EMIT, he noticed a place that no one had thought of as a source of greenhouse gas emissions until now. Relevant information can be found here.
