Dübendorf ZH – From 2027, European satellites will for the first time provide precise emissions maps that can record the contributions of individual power plants and industrial facilities. The necessary methods and technologies were developed by Empa researchers.
(CONNECT) As part of the CO2 measurement mission (CO2M) of the European Union's Copernicus Earth observation program, three new satellites will be launched into orbit from 2027. The satellites make it possible to precisely determine the emissions of individual countries, cities and individual power plants. The necessary methods and technologies were developed by researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) as part of international research projects. According to a statement from Empa, the aim of the mission is to monitor man-made CO2 emissions worldwide.
The new satellites improve measurement coverage and enable the global recording of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) every three and a half days. The area-wide emission images are also supplied with a resolution of two kilometers, covering entire regions. Previous satellites were only able to capture narrow measurement strips. Developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), the CO2M mission will be handed over to the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) for operation.
A few years ago, Empa researchers simulated the CO2 measurement data on behalf of the ESA in order to find out which technologies are suitable for such analyses. These simulations were decisive in determining that the new CO2M satellites will measure both CO2 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). This combination makes it possible to distinguish man-made emissions from natural sources.
As part of the European CORSO project, a global data set on major emitters is also currently being created. When comparing the emission estimates for nitrogen oxides based on public and commercial databases with the actual measurements, it was found that the estimates do not correspond to reality in many cases. The methods and technologies developed are to be transferred to greenhouse gases in the near future in order to demonstrate actual global progress in climate protection. ce/nta
You need to load content from reCAPTCHA to submit the form. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou are currently viewing a placeholder content from Turnstile. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou are currently viewing a placeholder content from Vimeo. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou need to load content from reCAPTCHA to submit the form. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More Information