El factor geográfico: cómo las condiciones ambientales determinan el control del metano desde el espacio

This report by Ember and the Clean Air Task Force examines how environmental conditions—specifically cloud cover, terrain roughness, solar elevation, surface brightness, and wind speed—limit the effectiveness of satellite-based methane monitoring. It highlights that approximately 30% of global coal, oil, and gas extraction infrastructure is located in regions where these factors make satellite observation difficult, necessitating a multi-tiered observation strategy that integrates space-based data with aircraft, drones, and ground-based sensors.

• Environmental factors such as cloud cover, wind speed, surface brightness, mountainous terrain, and seasonal solar light availability can hinder the ability of satellites to detect methane emissions. The impact varies by sensor type, location, and time of year.
• Approximately 30% of global coal, oil, and gas extraction infrastructure is situated in regions classified as 'moderate' or 'difficult' for satellite observation due to environmental constraints.
• Cloud cover is identified as the most significant obstacle to space-based methane detection because satellites cannot see through clouds, and even partial cloud cover in a pixel can interfere with measurements. This is particularly problematic in tropical regions.
• Rough terrain in mountainous regions creates shadows and causes light to reflect through different parts of the atmosphere, complicating signal interpretation. This affects large areas including Central Asia, western South America, the North American Midwest, and the western Balkans.
• Low solar elevation during winter in high-latitude regions reduces the light available for sensors, significantly reducing data coverage in parts of Russia, Canada, and Argentina.
• Surface brightness affects detection; dark surfaces like forests or snow-covered areas reflect less infrared light, increasing uncertainty. Conversely, arid regions are favorable for detection.
• High wind speeds can disperse methane plumes, reducing local concentrations and making it harder for satellites to distinguish plumes from background methane. This is notably an issue in southern Argentina.
• Analysis of the top 10 coal producers shows that 84% of Indonesia's coal production is in difficult-to-monitor regions, while 46% of Russia's and 27% of India's are similarly affected. In contrast, South Africa (99% favorable) and Australia (91% favorable) have near-ideal conditions.
• For oil and gas, 62% of Russia's production (largely in the West Siberian Basin) and 46% of Canada's production are in difficult-to-monitor regions. In the US, 22% of production is affected, with specific challenges in Alaska, the Appalachian Basin, and the Transverse Ranges.
• In Latin America, 70% of Colombia's oil and gas production and 98% of Ecuador's production are in difficult-to-monitor regions, primarily due to persistent cloud cover in tropical rainforest climates and the Andes mountains.
• To overcome satellite limitations, the report advocates for a multi-tiered observation system that combines space-based data with near-ground measurements from aircraft, drones, ground vehicles, and fixed locations.

APA

Shannon, S., & Binietoglou, I. (2025). El factor geográfico: cómo las condiciones ambientales determinan el control del metano desde el espacio. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/03/ES-The-geography-factor.pdf

Chicago

Shannon, Sarah, and Ioannis Binietoglou. El factor geográfico: cómo las condiciones ambientales determinan el control del metano desde el espacio. Ember, 2025. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/03/ES-The-geography-factor.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Shannon |first1=Sarah |last2=Binietoglou |first2=Ioannis |title=El factor geográfico: cómo las condiciones ambientales determinan el control del metano desde el espacio |publisher=Ember |date=18 March 2025 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/03/ES-The-geography-factor.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{shannon2025factor, author = {Shannon, Sarah and Binietoglou, Ioannis}, title = {{El factor geográfico: cómo las condiciones ambientales determinan el control del metano desde el espacio}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/03/ES-The-geography-factor.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }