Attribution of the accelerating increase in atmospheric methane during 2010–2018 by inverse analysis of GOSAT observations

Zhang, Yuzhong; Jacob, Daniel J.; Lu, Xiao; Maasakkers, Joannes D.; Scarpelli, Tia R.; Sheng, Jian-Xiong; Shen, Lu; Qu, Zhen; Sulprizio, Melissa P.; Chang, Jinfeng; Bloom, A. Anthony; Ma, Shuang; Worden, John; Parker, Robert J.; Boesch, Hartmut

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-3643-2021

Articles | Volume 21, issue 5

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-3643-2021

© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-3643-2021

© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 21, issue 5

Research article

|

10 Mar 2021

Research article |

| 10 Mar 2021

Attribution of the accelerating increase in atmospheric methane during 2010–2018 by inverse analysis of GOSAT observations

Yuzhong Zhang, Daniel J. Jacob, Xiao Lu, Joannes D. Maasakkers, Tia R. Scarpelli, Jian-Xiong Sheng, Lu Shen, Zhen Qu, Melissa P. Sulprizio, Jinfeng Chang, A. Anthony Bloom, Shuang Ma, John Worden, Robert J. Parker, and Hartmut Boesch

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https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-3643-2021-supplement

Data sets

Attribution of the accelerating increase in atmospheric methane during 2010–2018 by inverse analysis of GOSAT observations Yuzhong Zhang, Daniel J. Jacob, Xiao Lu, Joannes D. Maasakkers, Tia R. Scarpelli, Jian-Xiong Sheng, Lu Shen, Zhen Qu, Melissa P. Sulprizio, Jinfeng Chang, A. Anthony Bloom, Shuang Ma, John Worden, Robert J. Parker, and Hartmut Boesch https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4052518

University of Leicester GOSAT Proxy XCH4 v9.0, Centre for Environmental Data Analysis R. Parker and H. Boesch https://doi.org/10.5285/18ef8247f52a4cb6a14013f8235cc1eb

ACE-FTS satellite observations ACE Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment http://www.ace.uwaterloo.ca/data.php

National reports UNFCCC's Greenhouse Gas Inventory Data Interface (UNFCCC) https://di.unfccc.int/detailed_data_by_party

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Short summary

We use 2010–2018 satellite observations of atmospheric methane to interpret the factors controlling atmospheric methane and its accelerating increase during the period. The 2010–2018 increase in global methane emissions is driven by tropical and boreal wetlands and tropical livestock (South Asia, Africa, Brazil), with an insignificant positive trend in emissions from the fossil fuel sector. The peak methane growth rates in 2014–2015 are also contributed by low OH and high fire emissions.