Articles | Volume 12, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-5655-2019
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-5655-2019
Research article
 | 
24 Oct 2019
Research article |  | 24 Oct 2019

Potential of next-generation imaging spectrometers to detect and quantify methane point sources from space

Daniel H. Cusworth, Daniel J. Jacob, Daniel J. Varon, Christopher Chan Miller, Xiong Liu, Kelly Chance, Andrew K. Thorpe, Riley M. Duren, Charles E. Miller, David R. Thompson, Christian Frankenberg, Luis Guanter, and Cynthia A. Randles

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Short summary
We examine the potential for global detection of methane plumes from individual point sources with the new generation of spaceborne imaging spectrometers scheduled for launch in 2019–2025. We perform methane retrievals on simulated scenes with varying surfaces and atmospheric methane concentrations. Our results suggest that imaging spectrometers in space could play a transformative role in the future for quantifying methane emissions from point sources on a global scale.