Methane emissions from US urban areas 'widely' underestimated, satellite observations suggest

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🗞️ Driving the news: Methane emissions from major U.S. urban areas may be significantly higher than official estimates, according to new satellite-based research published in Science
• The study suggests emissions from 12 major metropolitan regions could be up to 80% higher than reported in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s greenhouse gas inventory

🔭 The context: Researchers used observations from the TROPOMI instrument aboard the Sentinel-5P satellite to measure methane concentrations across cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Miami and Washington, D.C.
• The analysis points to underestimated emissions from urban sources such as landfills, natural gas distribution networks, wastewater treatment facilities and residential combustion
• Landfills emerged as a particular concern, with researchers noting that methane capture systems often fail to collect as much gas as expected
• Official inventories also frequently rely on industry self-reporting rather than independent measurement.

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Methane is one of the most powerful short-lived climate pollutants, trapping significantly more heat than carbon dioxide over shorter time periods
• Reducing methane emissions is considered one of the fastest ways to slow near-term global warming
• As methane emissions are often difficult to detect and quantify, satellite monitoring could help cities identify major leaks and target reduction efforts more effectively

⏭️ What’s next: Experts say many methane sources can be addressed with existing technologies, including improved landfill gas capture, leak detection and upgrades to waste management infrastructure
• Better satellite monitoring could increasingly complement traditional reporting systems and help governments verify progress on methane reduction commitments

💬 One quote: “Measuring urban methane emissions is important because we cannot manage what we cannot accurately quantify.” — Xiaolin Wang, Harvard University researcher

📈 One stat: Methane emissions from the 12 U.S. urban areas studied may be up to 80% higher than reported in official EPA estimates

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