“This was a really, really dramatic emission,"
Cutting down methane emissions caused by fossil fuel facilities has become a priority for governments seeking to take quick, effective steps against climate change. That's because methane is powerful heat-trapping gas second only to carbon dioxide, which stays in the atmosphere for longer.
GHGSat said the plumes detected at
Companies can prevent the uncontrolled release of methane through best practices. Captured gas can be burned as fuel, lessening its global-warming impact.
GHGSat said it measured further plumes over the mine during subsequent flyovers the following weeks, though these didn't reach the same “ultra emission” scale seen on
“Even if it’s only for a short period of time it doesn’t take long for this to be a significant emission," said Wight.
“If this event is the result of an accumulation of methane that has been then released all at once instead of over several days, the environmental impact would be the same as if a smaller plume was to be released constantly over several days,” said Caltagirone, who wasn't involved in the GHGSat observation.
“But from a safety perspective it is worrisome,” he said, citing recent mine explosions in
Still, the release was likely a very rare event or else other methane-measuring satellites would have picked them up too, said Caltagirone.
GHGSat said it alerted the
Several private and government satellites have been launched into orbit in recent years to help pinpoint methane leaks and raise awareness of the risks they pose to the climate and people's health.
In one of the most publicized methane leaks in
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