Methane emissions from cows spotted from space for the first time

A satellite has been used to identify a California farm as the source of methane plumes, marking a new level of precision for independent monitoring of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions

By Adam Vaughan

Cows’ contribution to climate change through belching and flatulence is about to face a whole new level of scrutiny. Scientists have previously monitored the methane emissions of cattle from the ground and planes and now they have seen cow-related methane plumes from space for the first time.

Canadian aerospace firm GHGSat used one of its three satellites to pinpoint the source of five methane plumes as a single cattle farm in the San Joaquin Valley nearly 10 kilometres south-east of Bakersfield in California. The …