Global Atmospheric Methane
- Visualizations by:
- Cindy Starr
- View full credits
This first 3D volumetric visualization focuses on several continents showing the emission and transport of atmospheric methane around the globe between January 1, 2017 and November 30, 2018.
This video is also available on our YouTube channel.
The NASA SVS visualization presented here shows the complex patterns of methane emissions produced around the globe and throughout the year from the different sources described above. The visualization was created using output from the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, GMAO, GEOS modeling system, developed and maintained by scientists at NASA. Wetland emissions were estimated by the LPJ-wsl model, which simulates the temperature and moisture dependent methane emission processes using a variety of satellite data to determine what parts of the globe are covered by wetlands. Other methane emission sources come from inventories of human activity. The height of Earth’s atmosphere and topography have been vertically exaggerated and appear approximately 50-times higher than normal in order to show the complexity of the atmospheric flow.
As the visualization progresses, outflow from different source regions is highlighted. For example, high methane concentrations over South America are driven by wetland emissions while over Asia, emissions reflect a mix of agricultural and industrial activities. Emissions are transported through the atmosphere as weather systems move and mix methane around the globe. In the atmosphere, methane is eventually removed by reactive gases that convert it to carbon dioxide. Understanding the three-dimensional distribution of methane is important for NASA scientists planning observations that sample the atmosphere in very different ways. Satellites like GeoCarb, a planned geostationary mission to observe both carbon dioxide and methane, look down from space and will estimate the total number of methane molecules in a column of air. Aircraft, like those launched during NASA’s Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABOVE) sample the atmosphere along very specific flight lines, providing additional details about the processes controlling methane emissions at high latitudes. Atmospheric models help place these different types of measurements in context so that scientists can refine estimates of sources and sinks, understand the processes controlling them and reduce uncertainty in future projections of carbon-climate feedbacks.
This second 3D volumetric visualization shows a global view of the methane emission and transport between December 1, 2017 and November 30, 2018. This visualizaion of the rotating global view is designed to be played in a continuous loop.
This video is also available on our YouTube channel.
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio
Data visualizers
- Greg Shirah (NASA/GSFC)
- Kel Elkins (USRA)
- Trent L. Schindler (USRA)
Visualizer
- Cindy Starr (GST) [Lead]
Scientists
- Abhishek Chatterjee (USRA)
- Benjamin Poulter (NASA/GSFC)
- Lesley Ott (NASA/GSFC)
Producers
- Ellen T. Gray (NASA/HQ)
- Katie Jepson (KBRwyle)
Project support
- Eric Sokolowsky (GST)
- Wei Hao (GST)
Technical support
- Ian Jones (ADNET)
- Laurence Schuler (ADNET)
Papers
This visualization is based on the following papers:Datasets used in this visualization
GMAO GEOS Atmospheric Methane (A.K.A. GMAO GEOS Atmospheric Methane)
Note: While we identify the data sets used in these visualizations, we do not store any further details nor the data sets themselves on our site.