Google and NASA Unveil AI Model to Map Methane Emissions from Space

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

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 uncovered over 23,000 hidden methane plumes globally, including 24 of the 25 largest-emitting landfills in the world.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that ranks as the third-largest source of emissions generated from human activities in the U.S., according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The collaboration between Google and NASA builds on the tech giant's efforts to manage and curb superpollutants like methane.