Document Type : Original Research Paper
Authors
1 Department of Geomatics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran
2 Iranian Space Research Center, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Methane, as the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, plays a significant role in intensifying global warming. Its global warming potential over a 100-year period is estimated to be about 28 times higher than that of carbon dioxide. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), approximately 40% of anthropogenic methane emissions are related to the energy sector, particularly the oil and gas industries. As one of the world’s major oil and gas producers, Iran faces serious challenges in monitoring and controlling methane emissions, an issue of particular importance under international frameworks such as the Paris Agreement. This study investigates the temporal and spatial variations of methane emissions in Iran during 2019–2023 using data from the TROPOMI sensor onboard the Sentinel-5P satellite within the Google Earth Engine platform. Methane concentration data with a spatial resolution of 5.5 × 7 km were processed to produce annual, seasonal, and monthly averages. The results indicate a consistent upward trend in methane concentrations over the study period, with an annual growth rate of about 0.03%. On average, methane levels exceeded the IPCC threshold of 1800 ppb by approximately 101.21 ppb. The highest concentrations occurred in autumn and winter, likely due to increased gas extraction and reduced efficiency of leak control systems at lower temperatures. The cumulative methane concentration over five years reached 1,487,134,705 ppb. These findings highlight the continuous rise of atmospheric methane in Iran and emphasize the urgent need for advanced monitoring technologies and effective emission reduction strategies.
Main Subjects
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