Integrating Satellite Observations and Hydrological Models to Unravel Large TROPOMI Methane Emissions in South Sudan Wetlands
This study presents a comprehensive investigation of Methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) emissions in the wetlands of South Sudan, employing an integrated approach that combines TROPOMI satellite data, river altimetry, and hydrological model outputs. TROPOMI data show a strong increase in CH<sub...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Remote Sensing |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/24/4744 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850036696859541504 |
|---|---|
| author | Yousef A. Y. Albuhaisi Ype van der Velde Sudhanshu Pandey Sander Houweling |
| author_facet | Yousef A. Y. Albuhaisi Ype van der Velde Sudhanshu Pandey Sander Houweling |
| author_sort | Yousef A. Y. Albuhaisi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study presents a comprehensive investigation of Methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) emissions in the wetlands of South Sudan, employing an integrated approach that combines TROPOMI satellite data, river altimetry, and hydrological model outputs. TROPOMI data show a strong increase in CH<sub>4</sub> concentrations over the Sudd wetlands from 2018 to 2022. We quantify CH<sub>4</sub> emissions using these data. We find a twofold emission increase from 2018 to 2019 (9.2 ± 2.4 Tg yr<sup>−1</sup>) to 2020 to 2022 (16.3 ± 3.3 Tg yr<sup>−1</sup>). River altimetry data analysis elucidates the interconnected dynamics of river systems and CH<sub>4</sub> emissions. We identify correlations and temporal alignments across South Sudan wetlands catchments. Our findings indicate a clear signature of ENSO driving the wetland dynamics and CH<sub>4</sub> emissions in the Sudd by altering precipitation patterns, hydrology, and temperature, leading to variations in anaerobic conditions conducive to CH<sub>4</sub> production. Significant correlations are found between CH<sub>4</sub> emissions and PCR-GLOBWB-simulated soil moisture dynamics, groundwater recharge, and surface water parameters within specific catchments, underscoring the importance of these parameters on the catchment scale. Lagged correlations were found between hydrological parameters and CH<sub>4</sub> emissions, particularly with PCR-GLOBWB-simulated capillary rise. These correlations shed light on the temporal dynamics of this poorly studied and quantified source of CH<sub>4</sub>. Our findings contribute to the current knowledge of wetland CH<sub>4</sub> emissions and highlight the urgency of addressing the complex interplay between hydrology and carbon dynamics in these ecosystems that play a critical role in the global CH<sub>4</sub> budget. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a3fa7b21550248bd9d5c1bbf54948b62 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj-art-a3fa7b21550248bd9d5c1bbf54948b622025-08-20T02:57:04ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922024-12-011624474410.3390/rs16244744Integrating Satellite Observations and Hydrological Models to Unravel Large TROPOMI Methane Emissions in South Sudan WetlandsYousef A. Y. Albuhaisi0Ype van der Velde1Sudhanshu Pandey2Sander Houweling3Department of Earth Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The NetherlandsDepartment of Earth Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The NetherlandsJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91106, USADepartment of Earth Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The NetherlandsThis study presents a comprehensive investigation of Methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) emissions in the wetlands of South Sudan, employing an integrated approach that combines TROPOMI satellite data, river altimetry, and hydrological model outputs. TROPOMI data show a strong increase in CH<sub>4</sub> concentrations over the Sudd wetlands from 2018 to 2022. We quantify CH<sub>4</sub> emissions using these data. We find a twofold emission increase from 2018 to 2019 (9.2 ± 2.4 Tg yr<sup>−1</sup>) to 2020 to 2022 (16.3 ± 3.3 Tg yr<sup>−1</sup>). River altimetry data analysis elucidates the interconnected dynamics of river systems and CH<sub>4</sub> emissions. We identify correlations and temporal alignments across South Sudan wetlands catchments. Our findings indicate a clear signature of ENSO driving the wetland dynamics and CH<sub>4</sub> emissions in the Sudd by altering precipitation patterns, hydrology, and temperature, leading to variations in anaerobic conditions conducive to CH<sub>4</sub> production. Significant correlations are found between CH<sub>4</sub> emissions and PCR-GLOBWB-simulated soil moisture dynamics, groundwater recharge, and surface water parameters within specific catchments, underscoring the importance of these parameters on the catchment scale. Lagged correlations were found between hydrological parameters and CH<sub>4</sub> emissions, particularly with PCR-GLOBWB-simulated capillary rise. These correlations shed light on the temporal dynamics of this poorly studied and quantified source of CH<sub>4</sub>. Our findings contribute to the current knowledge of wetland CH<sub>4</sub> emissions and highlight the urgency of addressing the complex interplay between hydrology and carbon dynamics in these ecosystems that play a critical role in the global CH<sub>4</sub> budget.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/24/4744methaneSouth Sudanwetlandshydrological modelsriver height measurementshydrological catchment |
| spellingShingle | Yousef A. Y. Albuhaisi Ype van der Velde Sudhanshu Pandey Sander Houweling Integrating Satellite Observations and Hydrological Models to Unravel Large TROPOMI Methane Emissions in South Sudan Wetlands Remote Sensing methane South Sudan wetlands hydrological models river height measurements hydrological catchment |
| title | Integrating Satellite Observations and Hydrological Models to Unravel Large TROPOMI Methane Emissions in South Sudan Wetlands |
| title_full | Integrating Satellite Observations and Hydrological Models to Unravel Large TROPOMI Methane Emissions in South Sudan Wetlands |
| title_fullStr | Integrating Satellite Observations and Hydrological Models to Unravel Large TROPOMI Methane Emissions in South Sudan Wetlands |
| title_full_unstemmed | Integrating Satellite Observations and Hydrological Models to Unravel Large TROPOMI Methane Emissions in South Sudan Wetlands |
| title_short | Integrating Satellite Observations and Hydrological Models to Unravel Large TROPOMI Methane Emissions in South Sudan Wetlands |
| title_sort | integrating satellite observations and hydrological models to unravel large tropomi methane emissions in south sudan wetlands |
| topic | methane South Sudan wetlands hydrological models river height measurements hydrological catchment |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/24/4744 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yousefayalbuhaisi integratingsatelliteobservationsandhydrologicalmodelstounravellargetropomimethaneemissionsinsouthsudanwetlands AT ypevandervelde integratingsatelliteobservationsandhydrologicalmodelstounravellargetropomimethaneemissionsinsouthsudanwetlands AT sudhanshupandey integratingsatelliteobservationsandhydrologicalmodelstounravellargetropomimethaneemissionsinsouthsudanwetlands AT sanderhouweling integratingsatelliteobservationsandhydrologicalmodelstounravellargetropomimethaneemissionsinsouthsudanwetlands |