Articles | Volume 26, issue 13
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-10043-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-10043-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
16 Jul 2026
Research article |
| 16 Jul 2026
| 16 Jul 2026
Evaluation of coal mine methane inventory methods using aircraft-based approaches in the Bowen Basin, Australia
Stephen J. Harris
UNEP's International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), Paris, France
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Sven Krautwurst
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
University of Bremen, Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), Bremen, Germany
Jorg Hacker
Airborne Research Australia, Parafield, SA, Australia
College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
Mark Lunt
Environmental Defense Fund, Perth, WA, Australia
Jakob Borchardt
University of Bremen, Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), Bremen, Germany
Airborne Research Australia, Parafield, SA, Australia
The University of Melbourne, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia
Hartmut Boesch
University of Bremen, Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), Bremen, Germany
Tarra Brain
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
John Philip Burrows
University of Bremen, Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), Bremen, Germany
Shakti Chakravarty
Airborne Research Australia, Parafield, SA, Australia
Robert A. Field
UNEP's International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), Paris, France
Rebecca E. Fisher
Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX, UK
James L. France
Environmental Defense Fund, Perth, WA, Australia
Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX, UK
Konstantin Gerilowski
University of Bremen, Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), Bremen, Germany
University of Bremen, Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), Bremen, Germany
Wolfgang Junkermann
Airborne Research Australia, Parafield, SA, Australia
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany
Bryce F. J. Kelly
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Martin Kumm
Jade University of Applied Sciences, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Mathias Lanoisellé
Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX, UK
Wolfgang Lieff
Airborne Research Australia, Parafield, SA, Australia
Andrew McGrath
Airborne Research Australia, Parafield, SA, Australia
College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
Adrian Murphy
Airborne Research Australia, Parafield, SA, Australia
Thomas Röckmann
Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CC, the Netherlands
Zoe Salmon
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Josua Schindewolf
Alfred Wegener Institute – Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
Jakob Thoböll
University of Bremen, Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), Bremen, Germany
Carina van der Veen
Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CC, the Netherlands
Heinrich Bovensmann
University of Bremen, Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), Bremen, Germany
Data sets
Airborne In-Situ-measured GHG emission data from Coal Mines in the Bowen Basin, Queensland, Australia, Sep/Oct 2023 Jorg Hacker https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16992959
MAMAP2D-Light methane column anomaly maps (NetCDF4 and KMZ) Sven Krautwurst and Jakob Borchardt https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18300535
Short summary
The accuracy of methods used to estimate and report fugitive methane emissions from Australian coal mines remains unclear. This study compares airborne emission rate estimates with reported estimates from 17 coal mines in the Bowen Basin, a region accounting for 45 % of national coal production. Results show good agreement for underground coal mines, but poor agreement for surface coal mines, suggesting improvements to surface coal mine reporting methods is needed to improve inventory reporting.
The accuracy of methods used to estimate and report fugitive methane emissions from Australian...
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