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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →A satellite emissions estimate is evidence about what an instrument observed under particular conditions—not, by itself, a facility’s annual emissions total. A single plume estimate describes a moment; repeated observations can support a broader estimate of a source’s emissions, but only with attention to coverage, detection limits, uncertainty and attribution.
What a satellite emissions estimate measures
Satellite products often report related but distinct quantities. Keeping them separate is essential when interpreting a number associated with a facility.
- Concentration describes how much gas is present in a volume of air.
- Enhancement describes the increase in the observed gas signal above an estimated background. A plume can be identified through this contrast; the enhancement is not itself an emission rate.
- Emission rate estimates how quickly gas is entering the atmosphere, commonly expressed as mass per unit time. It is inferred from plume information and wind, rather than read directly as a facility’s annual output.
Carbon Mapper’s product definitions distinguish a plume, the atmospheric manifestation of gas, from a source, the geographic origin to which emissions are attributed. The distinction matters: a plume is what the instrument observes, while a source label is an interpretation of where it came from.
How a satellite turns a plume into an estimated rate
- Observe the atmospheric signal. The sensor records spectral information affected by gas in the atmosphere. Processing identifies a plume and estimates its enhancement or integrated mass.
- Use wind and plume information. Wind speed and direction help estimate how much gas is moving through the observed plume. Carbon Mapper lists wind values and their uncertainty in plume products. NASA’s description of GHGSat methods says its dispersion modeling uses site information and meteorological data from global models or local weather stations.
- Report the product at its stated level. A rate for one plume is an estimate for that observation. A source-level product may combine observations and account for persistence; its meaning depends on the product’s definition and aggregation period.
Because this is an inference, not a direct continuous measurement, wind inputs, retrieval quality, observation conditions and uncertainty fields matter. A rate without its product type and observation context is easy to misread.
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What a plume rate says—and what it does not
Instantaneous plume rate
Carbon Mapper defines an instantaneous estimate as the rate calculated for one plume at one moment, and says it does not represent the source’s overall emissions. It should not be presented as an annual total or assumed to have continued unchanged through the day, month or year.
Persistence and source-level rate
Carbon Mapper defines persistence as detected plumes divided by unobscured overpasses. It describes how often plumes were detected within the usable observations; it is not continuous monitoring. The same guide defines a source emission rate as the daily average of emissions attributed to a source, weighted by persistence.
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Before turning such a source-level figure into an annualized estimate, check the dataset’s aggregation period, the number of unobscured overpasses and detections, persistence, and the reported uncertainty. A daily average derived from intermittent satellite coverage is not the same thing as a year of direct, uninterrupted measurement.
What a non-detection means
A satellite non-detection is bounded by the sensor’s ability to detect a plume and by the conditions during that observation. In Carbon Mapper’s terminology, a null detect means no emission above the applicable minimum detection limit under optimal observing conditions. It does not establish that emissions were absolutely zero.
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A minimum detection limit is the lowest emission rate a technology can detect under specified conditions, with validation against ground truth. Carbon Mapper identifies wind speed and ground reflectivity as factors affecting detection limits. Conditions that make a plume harder to detect can therefore change what a non-detection tells you.
Detection specifications are conditional, not universal thresholds
Published performance figures describe particular sensors and conditions. They cannot be applied as a single cutoff for every satellite, scene or facility.
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| Specification | What the source reports | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Tanager-1 methane detection performance | Carbon Mapper’s 2025 Product Guide gives a 90% probability of detection at 90–180 kg/hour under stated conditions: 3 m/s wind, 35° solar zenith angle, 25% albedo and 30 m ground sampling distance. The range varies by imaging mode. | This is a conditional product specification, not a universal detection threshold for all satellites, observation conditions or facilities. |
| Approximate ground sampling distance | Carbon Mapper’s 2025 guide lists approximately 30–43 m for Tanager-1 and 50–60 m for NASA EMIT, with variation by sensor geometry. | Spatial resolution describes sampling scale; it does not guarantee detection of a particular emission. |
| GHGSat detection threshold | GHGSat’s own technology material states a 100 kg/hour threshold. | This is a vendor-stated figure, not an independently universal threshold. |
These figures concern different aspects of performance and come from different sources. A fair comparison must retain each figure’s attribution and conditions rather than treating the numbers as interchangeable.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why a mapped plume does not prove which facility or operator caused it
A mapped plume or source location is not certainty about an individual piece of infrastructure, facility ownership or the identity of an operator. Carbon Mapper cautions that plume and source locations may not align perfectly with infrastructure because of image accuracy and the determination of the plume’s origin. Attribution levels and quality flags should therefore travel with any claim about a facility.
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Sector attribution and ownership attribution are different claims. A product may classify a plume or source by sector without establishing which company owns or operates a nearby asset. Do not turn a sector label or nearby map pin into an ownership assertion unless the data product actually supports that conclusion.
How to compare two estimates that disagree
Different values do not necessarily mean that one dataset is wrong. First check whether the observations and products are genuinely comparable:
- Gas and platform: Confirm the gas measured and the sensor or satellite used.
- Timing: Compare observation date and time; non-simultaneous observations may capture different plume conditions.
- Resolution and location: Check spatial resolution and where the plume and attributed source are mapped.
- Detection conditions: Review the applicable detection limit and environmental conditions, including wind and surface reflectivity.
- Wind and uncertainty: Identify the wind source and its uncertainty, along with uncertainty in the retrieved estimate.
- Product quality: Compare quality flags and retrieval or processing level.
- Coverage: For source-level products, compare unobscured overpass counts, detections, persistence and uncertainty.
- Quantity reported: Establish whether each value is an instantaneous plume rate or an aggregated source rate, and note the aggregation period.
Those checks follow the product definitions and metadata described by Carbon Mapper and NASA’s overview of GHGSat methods. Without them, a comparison can confuse differences in coverage or method with a real change in emissions.
Where to check the underlying data
Carbon Mapper says its portal and APIs provide data products for non-commercial use under its terms. NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program page for GHGSat says access depends on license tiers, eligible users and NASA approval of data requests. Availability and terms differ by provider, so a public record in one portal does not mean all commercial satellite data are freely downloadable.
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