Worden, J.
, Green, P.
, Eldering, A.
and Sherwin, E.
(2025),
Common Practices for Quantifying Methane Emissions from Plumes Detected by Remote Sensing, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8575, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=960016
(Accessed May 23, 2025)
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Common Practices for Quantifying Methane Emissions from Plumes Detected by Remote Sensing
Published
Author(s)
John Worden, Paul Green, , Evan Sherwin
Abstract
This document provides a set of community-accepted practices for quantifying methane emissions based on plumes detected via spectroscopic remote sensing. Its primary goal is to promote consistency in the generation, validation, reporting, and quality assessment of methane emission estimates derived from remote sensing radiances. Developed by subject matter experts with deep experience across all stages of the measurement process, this guidance reflects a critical evaluation of current methodologies and highlights key practices needed to produce reliable, interoperable, and traceable products. The focus is specifically on methane emissions quantified from distinct plumes originating from localized sources, rather than diffuse emissions spread over large regions, which are beyond the scope of this work. This document is intended to serve both data producers and users. For producers, it offers a framework for aligning with field-recognized standards to ensure their outputs meet rigorous quality and transparency criteria. For users, it provides a reference to assess dataset fitness-for-purpose by highlighting essential metadata, assumptions, and methodological choices that underpin emission estimates. By fostering a shared understanding of best practices, this work aims to enhance comparability, confidence, and utility of remotely sensed methane emission products.Citation
NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR) - 8575
Report Number
8575
NIST Pub Series
Pub Type
NIST Pubs
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Keywords
Emissions quantification, hyperspectral, methane plumes, remote sensing
Citation
Issues
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Created May 21, 2025