Articles | Volume 25, issue 21
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-15121-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-15121-2025
Research article
 | 
07 Nov 2025
Research article |  | 07 Nov 2025

High-resolution regional inversion reveals overestimation of anthropogenic methane emissions in China

Shuzhuang Feng, Fei Jiang, Yongguang Zhang, Huilin Chen, Honglin Zhuang, Shumin Wang, Shengxi Bai, Hengmao Wang, and Weimin Ju

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Cited articles

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. 
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Short summary
Using satellite data and advanced modeling, this study inverted daily high-resolution anthropogenic CH4 emissions across China and Shanxi Province. We found that China's 2022 CH4 emissions were 45.1 TgCH4·yr⁻¹, significantly lower than previous estimates, especially in coal mining and waste sectors. The inversion substantially reduced emission uncertainties and improved CH4 concentration simulations. These results suggest China’s climate mitigation burden may have been overestimated.
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