Articles | Volume 26, issue 14
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-10455-2026
© 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-26-10455-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
27 Jul 2026
Research article |
| 27 Jul 2026
| 27 Jul 2026
Applying satellite observations to improve bottom-up national emission inventories for methane: application to Colombia
Sarah E. Hancock
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Harvard University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
Daniel J. Jacob
Harvard University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
Rodrigo Jimenez
Harvard University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
Andrés Ardila
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Universidad Nacional de Colombia–Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia
Luis Morales-Rincon
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Universidad Nacional de Colombia–Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia
Néstor Rojas
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Universidad Nacional de Colombia–Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia
Lucas A. Estrada
Harvard University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
Nicholas Balasus
Harvard University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
James D. East
Harvard University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
Melissa P. Sulprizio
Harvard University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
Xiaolin Wang
Harvard University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
James L. France
Environmental Defense Fund Europe, Avenue des Arts 47–49, Brussels, Belgium
Earth Sciences Department, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, UK
Lauren Potyk
Harvard University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
Elise Penn
Harvard University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
Zichong Chen
Harvard University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
Daniel J. Varon
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
Christian Frankenberg
California Institute of Technology, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, Pasadena, CA, USA
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
Marci Baranski
International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Paris, France
Andreea Calcan
International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Paris, France
Robert J. Parker
National Centre for Earth Observation, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
Earth Observation Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
Data sets
University of Leicester GOSAT Proxy XCH4 v9.0 R. Parker and H. Boesch https://doi.org/10.5285/18EF8247F52A4CB6A14013F8235CC1EB
Short summary
We combined satellite observations with detailed national data to improve estimates of Colombia’s methane emissions. Our results show that total methane emissions are higher than reported, with the biggest differences from fossil fuels. This approach demonstrates how satellite data can make national greenhouse gas reporting more accurate and transparent under the Paris Agreement.
We combined satellite observations with detailed national data to improve estimates of...
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