The greenhouse gases swirling above our heads, revealed by NASA

They are the invisible menace which scientists say threaten to destabilize our planet. But now, terrifying images have revealed the clouds of greenhouse gases swirling above our heads. Scientists from Carbon Mapper used NASA technology to record the huge plumes of methane and CO2 above the US, Pakistan , and South Africa .

These vast clouds of pollution extend up to 2.5 miles (4km) from their source and release up to 600 tonnes of greenhouse gases every hour. Scientists say the images could be used to pinpoint the worst sources of pollution and clean them up before they cause even more harm. The incredible images were taken by the Tanager-1 satellite,which launched on August 16.

This satellite carries an ‘imaging spectrometer’ designed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory which allows scientists to measure the wavelengths of light reflected from the Earth’s surface. Since each chemical absorbs or reflects different wavelengths of light, gases have a unique spectral fingerprint which the satellite can detect. This also allows the satellite to spot the differences between different greenhouse gases.

As it orbited Earth in September, researchers from the Carbon Mapper Coalition used a NASA-designed ‘imaging spectrometer’ to detect three huge clouds of gas. The first, which was spotted on September 19, emerges from a landfill in Karachi, Pakistan. The satellite images reveal a 2.5-mile-long (4km) cloud of methane stretching out over the landscape. Based on the scientists’ estimates, the landfill may be releasing as much as 1.2 tonnes (2,600 lbs) of polluting methane every hour.

The researchers also detected a second huge methane plume in the US near Midland, Texas. At the time the image was taken, the satellite found that the Permian Basin, one of the world’s largest oil fields, was releasing 400kg (1,200 lbs) of methane every hour. While travelling over South Africa, the satellite captured images of a massive 2-mile (3km) gas plume emerging from a coal-burning power plant in the town of Kendal. Using the spectrometer, the scientists revealed that this gas was CO2 – estimating that the plant releases 600 tonnes (1.3 million lbs) every hour.

While the methane plumes may be smaller than those containing CO2, they may be more of a concern for the environment. Methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas and is believed to produce a warming effect 80 times more potent than CO2. Although methane does break down over time after it is released, it can have a much greater immediate impact on the environment.

Some large methane plumes come from known sources such as oil fields or landfills but others can escape notice for months. During a 2016 aerial survey, Carbon Matter researchers found that half of all ‘super-emitting events’ were unknown to state authorities and could be mitigated once identified. Last year, this same approach was used by satellite company GHGSat to detect a major methane leak in the UK. The leak was caused by a broken pipe which released enough methane to power 7,500 homes for a year before it was identified.

At the time, the scientists said this was the first time a major methane leak had been detected in space before it was spotted by authorities from the ground. This is not the first time that a satellite has been used to detect methane emissions from space. Last year, NASA’s Earth Surface Mineral Dust Investigation, or ‘EMIT’, recorded the planet’s 50 biggest methane emitters. The top culprits include Turkmenistan, which produces plumes that stretch more than 20 miles (32 km) wide, Iran and New Mexico, USA.

Earlier in 2023, environmental intelligence company Kayrros found that oil fields in Turkmenistan near the Caspian Sea released 2.6 million tonnes of methane in a year. However, what makes the data from the Tanager-1 satellite different is how the scientists plan to use it. James Graf, director for Earth Science and Technology at JPL, says: ‘The first greenhouse gas images from Tanager-1 are exciting and are a compelling sign of things to come.’ 

Once fully operational the satellite will scan 116,000 square miles (300,000 square km) of Earth’s surface every day. All of this data will released publicly on Carbon Mapper’s data portal, revealing some of the biggest sources of global pollution. ‘The mission is a giant step forward in addressing greenhouse gas emissions,’ says Mr Graf.

In the future, the researchers believe this data could help to stop methane leaks before they do too much damage. Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies which helped fund the satellite, says: ‘Reducing methane pollution starts with measuring it, data from the Tanager-1 satellite is providing us with the real-time data necessary to pinpoint methane leaks at their source and clean them up. ‘This new technology is crucial to curbing emissions from one of the biggest contributors to climate change.’

Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Visit our profile page and hit the follow button above for more of the news you need.