An orbital NASA instrument designed mainly to advance studies of airborne dust and its effects on climate change has proven adept at another key Earth-science function - detecting large, worldwide emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
The device, called an imaging spectrometer, has identified more than 50 methane "super-emitters" in Central Asia, the Middle East and the Southwestern United States since it was installed in July aboard the International Space Station, NASA said on Tuesday.
That study, NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Investigation, or EMIT, will help scientists determine whether airborne dust in different parts of the world is likely to trap or deflect heat from the sun, thus contributing to warming or cooling of the planet. "Some of the plumes EMIT detected are among the largest ever seen - unlike anything that has ever been observed from space," said Andrew Thorpe, a JPL research technologist leading the methane studies.
Examples of newly imaged methane super-emitters showcased by JPL on Tuesday included a cluster of 12 plumes from oil and gas infrastructure in Turkmenistan, some plumes stretching more than 20 miles .
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Russian cargo spacecraft ends mission with fiery return to EarthThe Progress 80 freighter left the space station Sunday evening (Oct. 23) and burned up in our atmosphere shortly thereafter.
Read more »
B.o.B. Drops 'Ted Talk' Diss Aimed at His Flat-Earth CriticsB.o.B is finally responding to the 2016 flat-earth controversy that threw his career out of orbit ... and he's still, rather defiantly, dropping a diss-fueled track titled 'Ted Talk.'
Read more »
Scenes of climate science at the edge of the EarthIn a frigid landscape, a group of dedicated scientists work to record stark signs of the climate crisis.
Read more »
See the moon's shadow crawl eerily across Earth in last solar eclipse of 2022 (satellite video)The ghostly sight happened just a few days before Halloween.
Read more »
A new method to make high-performance magnets could minimize our reliance on rare earth elementsA team of international researchers has discovered a potential new method for making high-performance magnets used in wind turbines and electric vehicles.
Read more »
A big asteroid scheduled to pass relatively close to Earth will mean close callAn asteroid almost half a mile wide will closely pass by Earth on November 1, so get your telescopes ready.
Read more »