Articles | Volume 21, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-3643-2021
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-3643-2021
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

Related authors

Locating and quantifying CH4 sources within a wastewater treatment plant based on mobile measurements
Junyue Yang, Zhengning Xu, Zheng Xia, Xiangyu Pei, Yunye Yang, Botian Qiu, Shuang Zhao, Yuzhong Zhang, and Zhibin Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4571–4585, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4571-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4571-2025, 2025
Short summary
A data-efficient deep transfer learning framework for methane super-emitter detection in oil and gas fields using the Sentinel-2 satellite
Shutao Zhao, Yuzhong Zhang, Shuang Zhao, Xinlu Wang, and Daniel J. Varon
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4035–4052, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4035-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4035-2025, 2025
Short summary
What can we learn about tropospheric OH from satellite observations of methane?
Elise Penn, Daniel J. Jacob, Zichong Chen, James D. East, Melissa P. Sulprizio, Lori Bruhwiler, Joannes D. Maasakkers, Hannah Nesser, Zhen Qu, Yuzhong Zhang, and John Worden
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2947–2965, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2947-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2947-2025, 2025
Short summary
Contributions of lightning to long-term trends and inter-annual variability in global atmospheric chemistry constrained by Schumann Resonance observations
Xiaobo Wang, Yuzhong Zhang, Tamás Bozóki, Ruosi Liang, Xinchun Xie, Shutao Zhao, Rui Wang, Yujia Zhao, and Shuai Sun
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-370,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-370, 2025
Short summary
Spatiotemporal variations in atmospheric CH4 concentrations and enhancements in northern China based on a comprehensive dataset: Ground-based observations, TROPOMI data, inventory data and inversions
Pengfei Han, Ning Zeng, Bo Yao, Wen Zhang, Weijun Quan, Pucai Wang, Ting Wang, Minqiang Zhou, Qixiang Cai, Yuzhong Zhang, Ruosi Liang, Wanqi Sun, and Shengxiang Liu
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2162,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2162, 2024
Short summary

Related subject area

Subject: Gases | Research Activity: Atmospheric Modelling and Data Analysis | Altitude Range: Troposphere | Science Focus: Chemistry (chemical composition and reactions)
Evaluating tropospheric nitrogen dioxide in UKCA using OMI satellite retrievals over south and east Asia
Alok K. Pandey, David S. Stevenson, Alcide Zhao, Richard J. Pope, Ryan Hossaini, Krishan Kumar, and Martyn P. Chipperfield
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4785–4802, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4785-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4785-2025, 2025
Short summary
Technical note: A comparative study of chemistry schemes for volcanic sulfur dioxide in Lagrangian transport simulations – a case study of the 2019 Raikoke eruption
Mingzhao Liu, Lars Hoffmann, Jens-Uwe Grooß, Zhongyin Cai, Sabine Grießbach, and Yi Heng
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4403–4418, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4403-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4403-2025, 2025
Short summary
Revisiting the high tropospheric ozone over southern Africa: role of biomass burning and anthropogenic emissions
Yufen Wang, Ke Li, Xi Chen, Zhenjiang Yang, Minglong Tang, Pascoal M. D. Campos, Yang Yang, Xu Yue, and Hong Liao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4455–4475, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4455-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4455-2025, 2025
Short summary
Monoterpene oxidation pathways initiated by acyl peroxy radical addition
Dominika Pasik, Thomas Golin Almeida, Emelda Ahongshangbam, Siddharth Iyer, and Nanna Myllys
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4313–4331, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4313-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4313-2025, 2025
Short summary
Local and transboundary contributions to NOy loadings across East Asia using CMAQ-ISAM and a GEMS-informed emission inventory during the winter–spring transition
Jincheol Park, Yunsoo Choi, and Sagun Kayastha
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4291–4311, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4291-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4291-2025, 2025
Short summary

Cited articles

ACE Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment: ACE-FTS satellite observations, available at: http://www.ace.uwaterloo.ca/data.php, last access: 20 July 2020. 
Alexe, M., Bergamaschi, P., Segers, A., Detmers, R., Butz, A., Hasekamp, O., Guerlet, S., Parker, R., Boesch, H., Frankenberg, C., Scheepmaker, R. A., Dlugokencky, E., Sweeney, C., Wofsy, S. C., and Kort, E. A.: Inverse modelling of CH4 emissions for 2010–2011 using different satellite retrieval products from GOSAT and SCIAMACHY, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 113–133, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-113-2015, 2015. 
Baray, S., Jacob, D. J., Massakkers, J. D., Sheng, J.-X., Sulprizio, M. P., Jones, D. B. A., Bloom, A. A., and McLaren, R.: Estimating 2010–2015 Anthropogenic and Natural Methane Emissions in Canada using ECCC Surface and GOSAT Satellite Observations, Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss. [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2020-1195, in review, 2021. 
Barichivich, J., Gloor, E., Peylin, P., Brienen, R. J. W., Schöngart, J., Espinoza, J. C., and Pattnayak, K. C.: Recent intensification of Amazon flooding extremes driven by strengthened Walker circulation, Sci. Adv., 4, eaat8785, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aat8785, 2018. 
Download
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.
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint