The Sentinel satellites, including the TROPOMI instrument, form the backbone of Europe’s Copernicus Earth Observation programme. For the methane emission monitoring within the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), this data is now complemented by a number of Copernicus Contributing Missions (CCMs) that provide additional information and higher resolution. This CCM framework provides an opportunity for public and private partners to join forces.
We will use CCMs to pinpoint individual methane sources all around the world, such as large gas leaks, to provide insights on emissions and initiate mitigation efforts. We are excited to have started our new CAMS service, called Development and provision of hot-spot emissions of methane from Copernicus Contributing Missions. In this contract we analyze high-resolution data from these third-party satellite missions within the Copernicus framework. The service will support the EU methane regulation that was adopted in 2024, and is highlighted at the COP.
The CCMs included in the service measure methane at the level of about 25×25 meters. They allow us to zoom-in on interesting methane hotspots such as detected by Sentinel-5P TROPOMI or evaluate facilities of interest based on reported emissions. We will evaluate the methane abundance data to detect methane plumes and quantify emission rates. The service will start with @GHGSat mission data and aims to incorporate GEISAT and GESat data later on. These are the first atmospheric CCMs.
CAMS is implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) on behalf of the European Union.