Flaring is an intentional process where excess natural gas is burned into the air. This process releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from oil and gas facilities. NASA’s EMIT mission, a groundbreaking project, has proven to be proficient at detecting these emissions from space while it orbits the Earth. More than a year after its launch, the EMIT imaging spectrometer aboard the International Space Station has not only mapped surface minerals, but it has also shown an unexpected ability to identify point-source emissions of greenhouse gases.
The EMIT mission, which stands for Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation, was launched in July 2022 with the primary goal of mapping ten key minerals found in arid regions around the world. While methane detection was not part of its original mission, the instrument’s designers suspected it could be capable. Remarkably, EMIT has exceeded its expected performance by identifying over 750 emission sources since August 2022, providing new and crucial insights into methane emissions from various locations, including small and remote areas.
Andrew Thorpe, a research technologist on the EMIT science team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, stated, “We were a little cautious at first about what we could do with the instrument. It has exceeded our expectations.” By identifying the sources of methane emissions, the instrument has opened the door for industries such as landfills, agriculture sites, and oil and gas facilities to address these emissions. Effective monitoring of human-caused methane emissions is essential for combating climate change, as methane is up to 80 times more powerful at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, remaining in the atmosphere for about a decade.
Furthermore, the EMIT mission has proven effective at detecting both large-scale and small-scale methane plumes in various parts of the globe. The instrument has offered stunning insights, mapping methane plumes and releasing its findings to the public and scientific community. With over 50,000 scenes observed since August 2022, EMIT has surpassed expectations in the field of greenhouse gas detection.
EMIT’s success in identifying methane sources has opened new possibilities for researchers and the public, allowing for a deeper understanding of our planet’s climate and atmospheric conditions. This innovative mission, developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, highlights the cutting-edge technology and data that are now accessible and at the forefront of scientific research.
