Google and NASA Launch AI Model to Map Global Methane Emissions

Google and NASA have collaborated to develop an artificial intelligence model that can track global methane emissions from space. The tool, called MAPL-EMIT, uses NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) instrument attached to the International Space Station to monitor methane emissions.

The AI model was trained on 3.6 million physics-simulated methane plumes and can detect 50% more methane leaks than human experts can. It has identified over 23,000 hidden methane plumes globally, including 24 of the 25 largest-emitting landfills in the world.

Municipal solid waste landfills are the third-largest source of methane emissions generated from human activities in the US, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The collaboration aims to automate the detection and localization of methane point sources through an advanced AI framework or deep learning.