Global Identification of Solid Waste Methane Super Emitters Using Hyperspectral Satellites.

ABSTRACT: Solid waste is the third largest source of anthropogenic methane, and mitigating emissions is crucial for addressing climate change. We combine three high-resolution (30-60 m) hyperspectral satellite imagers (EMIT, EnMAP, and PRISMA) to quantify emissions from 38 strongly emitting disposal sites across worldwide urban methane hotspots. The imagers give consistent emission estimates, with EMIT and EnMAP having better sensitivity than PRISMA. Total observed emissions add up to 230 ± 15 t h^-1, representing 5% of reported global solid waste emissions. Our estimates exceed the facility-level Climate TRACE inventory by a factor of 1.8, while we only detect emissions from 9 of the inventory's 20 highest-emitting sites, highlighting the importance of facility-level information. Furtherm

SUBMITTER: Zhang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12409875 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature