Coordinated satellite, aircraft, and ground-based observations of a large transient methane release

We present results from a Very Large Methane Release (VLMR) experiment evaluating methane retrievals from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) Advanced Baseline Imagers (ABIs) and multiple low-Earth-orbit imagers with high point-source detection limits. The experiment coordinated observations of a U.S. gas pipeline blowdown with nine satellites, two aircraft, and a truck-based mobile laboratory. We used the GOES-16, -18, and -19 ABIs with revisits every 10 min to 7 s to quantify release magnitude and uncertainty. Best methane retrieval precision (7–8%) was achieved in the 7-s and 30-s mesoscale scan modes averaged to 5 min. Source-rate and mass estimates are broadly consistent across measurement platforms. Detectable emissions totaled 370±30 t over 44–65 min from two release points, ~25% lower than bottom-up expectations based on pipeline volume and nominal pressure, likely due to late-stage emissions below satellite detection limits. Our work provides a framework for evaluating high-detection-limit methane point-source imagers.

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Publication Details

Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
2026-09-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2603595123
Primary Topic
Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Coordinated satellite, aircraft, and ground-based observations of a large transient methane release

Xinrong Ren, Tai‐Long He, Riley Duren, Nathan Malarich et al.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
article

Coordinated satellite, aircraft, and ground-based observations of a large transient methane release

Xinrong Ren, Tai‐Long He, Riley Duren, Nathan Malarich, Joannes Maasakkers, Steven Brown, Shobha Kondragunta, Daniel Cusworth, Jeffrey Peischl, Jelmar Gerritsen, Alan Brewer, Mark Cohen, Brian Carroll, Sunil Baidar, Ezra Levin, Tobias de Jong, Colm Sweeney, Phillip Stratton, Daniel Varon, Carsten Warneke
article en

Abstract

We present results from a Very Large Methane Release (VLMR) experiment evaluating methane retrievals from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) Advanced Baseline Imagers (ABIs) and multiple low-Earth-orbit imagers with high point-source detection limits. The experiment coordinated observations of a U.S. gas pipeline blowdown with nine satellites, two aircraft, and a truck-based mobile laboratory. We used the GOES-16, -18, and -19 ABIs with revisits every 10 min to 7 s to quantify release magnitude and uncertainty. Best methane retrieval precision (7–8%) was achieved in the 7-s and 30-s mesoscale scan modes averaged to 5 min. Source-rate and mass estimates are broadly consistent across measurement platforms. Detectable emissions totaled 370±30 t over 44–65 min from two release points, ~25% lower than bottom-up expectations based on pipeline volume and nominal pressure, likely due to late-stage emissions below satellite detection limits. Our work provides a framework for evaluating high-detection-limit methane point-source imagers.

Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesVol. 123(36)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US), Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (US), University of Colorado Boulder (US), NOAA Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (US), NOAA National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service (US), Data & Society Research Institute (US), Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (US), Cooperative Institute for Climate and Satellites (US), American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (US), Space Research Organisation Netherlands (NL), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US), Colorado State University (US)
U.S. Department of Commerce, Technische Universiteit Delft, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, United Nations Environment Programme
Openalex Percentile: Top 93%
Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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