The Tanager-1 satellite , equipped with an imaging spectrometer developed by NASA ‘s Jet Propulsion Laboratory ( JPL ), has detected greenhouse gas plumes for the first time. This technology was designed to identify point sources of emissions such as methane and carbon dioxide, two of the main causes of global warming.
Detection of greenhouse gas plumes
The satellite, part of the mission of the nonprofit Carbon Mapper , has shown promising results in its first few weeks of operation. During September 2024, emissions were detected at three different locations: a methane plume of approximately 4 kilometers over a landfill in Karachi, Pakistan; a source of carbon dioxide at a coal plant in South Africa; and a methane release at the Permian Basin oil field in Texas.
The detection of these plumes comes from the imaging spectrometer installed on Tanager-1. This device uses light reflected from the atmosphere to measure the ” spectral fingerprint ” of multiple chemical compounds, allowing emissions to be identified with unprecedented precision.
This technology is an evolution of the spectrometers developed by NASA in recent decades, such as AVIRIS and the more recent EMIT. ” The greenhouse gas images obtained by Tanager-1 are an example of the impact that this technology can have on reducing emissions ,” said James Graf of JPL.
Carbon Mapper, in collaboration with Planet Labs PBC and other institutions, has the mission of creating a constellation of satellites dedicated to monitoring polluting gases. This initiative, funded by philanthropic organizations, seeks to provide accessible and real-time data so that governments and companies can make science-based decisions to reduce their carbon footprint.
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Source and photo: NASA
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