Analyzing methane emissions in five Indian cities using TROPOMI data from sentinel-5 precursor satellite

Abstract

Methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas, and studying it is essential due to its high global warming potential and significant role in climate change. The present study investigated the spatiotemporal variations of CH4 in five cities (i.e., Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Jaipur) of India to better understand its distribution and trends from 2019 to 2023. The study also investigated relationship between CH4 and various parameters such as land surface temperature, spectral indices, meteorological variables, heat flux, and urbanization parameters. In Ahmedabad, it was observed that CH4 was most sensitive to change in Northward Turbulent Surface Stress (NWSS). Jaipur demonstrated a very strong correlation with eastward wind (r = −0.747), while Ahmedabad exhibited a strong correlation with NWSS (r = 0.828) and temperature at 2 m (r = 0.826). The study categorized CH4 concentrations across different land use and land cover classes, revealing distinct spatial patterns of CH4 distribution within urban environments. Spatial autocorrelation analysis showed that Jaipur displayed the highest clustering of CH4 values. This study provides insights that could help policymakers and urban planners implement effective measures to reduce CH4 emissions, supporting efforts to mitigate climate change and its impacts.