METEC 2.0 – Satellite Project
Project Overview
With support from the Department of Energy, the METEC Group at Colorado State University has deployed a methane controlled-release system to test satellite and aircraft abilities to detect and quantify known methane leak plumes. The METEC Group will use a midstream location which has sufficient gas supply for testing and is suitable for the requirements of months-long remote testing. The location of the release system in western Colorado is desirable as it has an available gas source, is remote from other methane sources, provides a uniform and high surface albedo, and has historically low cloud cover.
With planned released capabilities ranging from 25 to 2000 kg CH4/hr the METEC Satellite test location will best serve Point Source Imager Satellites and fixed-winged aircraft.
Project Timeline
- July, 2025: Satellite release rig available for controlled-releases.
- June – July, 2025: Installation and functional testing of rig.
- December- May, 2024-25: Design, construction, and safety testing of release rig.
- July – October, 2024: Stakeholder engagement regarding program requirements, needs, and constraints.
Interested in Testing?
Controlled release testing is now available. Test protocols, release capabilities, and test programs will be designed in consultation between the satellite operators and the METEC Research Group.
To learn more about testing, pricing, and test program design, please contact: [email protected]
Detecting Methane via Satellites
Types of Methane Measuring Satellites
There are primarily two types of satellites that detect and quantify methane: Area Flux Mappers and Point Source Imagers, with the primary difference between the two being the relative areas of Earth being monitored at a given time.
Area Flux Mappers cover wide areas using a large pixel size—anywhere from 100 meters to 10 kilometers – coupled with high precision instruments to quantify methane emissions. A strength of these satellites is that they can analyze large areas providing identification of large emission sources.
Clouds and adverse weather conditions can obstruct the satellite’s view, affecting the accuracy and consistency of the data. Other gases and atmospheric conditions can interfere with the detection of methane (spectral interference). Techniques like tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) and wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) are often used to minimize these interferences by selecting specific wavelengths that are more unique to methane. (Wang et al., 2019)
Point Source Imagers use a finer-scale pixel size, with each pixel covering an area of less than 60 meters to focus in and quantify the plumes emitted from individual point sources. With high spatial resolution sensors point source imagers can pinpoint methane emissions from specific sources, such as industrial facilities, landfills, or natural gas pipelines.
Point emissions often vary over time, requiring observational instruments to frequently re-scan a particular site. As with area flux mappers, clouds and adverse weather conditions can negatively affect the accuracy and consistency of point source imager data.
To date, one satellite (MERLIN) uses LIDAR, rather than SWIR, to detect and quantify methane. LIDAR systems emit laser pulses into the atmosphere. These pulses are typically in the near-infrared spectrum, which is absorbed by methane molecules. When the laser pulses encounter methane molecules, the light is absorbed and then re-emitted at a different wavelength. This process is known as differential absorption.
Satellite Instruments for observing atmospheric methane
| Area Flux Mappers | Point Source Imagers |
|---|---|
| GOSAT | Landsat-8 |
| TROPOMI | WorldView-3 |
| GOSAT-GW | Sentinel-2 |
| MethaneSAT | GHGSat |
| MicroCarb | PRISMA |
| GeoCarb | EnMAP |
| Merlin | Carbon Mapper |
Resources
Several informational resources on methane sensing satellite technology:
Observations from Space: Exploring the Landscape of Current and Emerging Technologies to Identify and Quantify Methane Emissions Using Satellites. CH4 Collaboratory. September 2022.
Quantifying methane emissions from the global scale down to point sources using satellite observations of atmospheric methane. Jacob, Daniel J., Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. 2022.
Video: MethaneSAT: This New Satellite Will Fight Climate Change From Space. Youtube, posted March 5, 2024.
References
Jacob, D. J., Varon, D. J., Cusworth, D. H., Dennison, P. E., Frankenberg, C., Gautam, R., Guanter, L., Kelley, J., McKeever, J., Ott, L. E., Poulter, B., Qu, Z., Thorpe, A. K., Worden, J. R., and Duren, R. M.: Quantifying methane emissions from the global scale down to point sources using satellite observations of atmospheric methane, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 9617–9646, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-9617-2022, 2022.
Wang F, Jia S, Wang Y, Tang Z. Recent Developments in Modulation Spectroscopy for Methane Detection Based on Tunable Diode Laser. Applied Sciences. 2019; 9(14):2816. https://doi.org/10.3390/app9142816