An Intercomparison of Underground Coal Mine Methan

Coal mining is a major source of methane emissions globally, and monitoring these emissions has become a sustained area of interest in both scientific research and policy-making. This study aims to systematically compare coal mine methane emission datasets derived from two satellite platforms, S5P/TROPOMI and GF-5B/AHSI. The methodology involves analyzing the spatial and non-spatial discrepancies in emission estimates at both grid and facility scales. Findings reveal that while localized discrepancies exist, overall emission estimates are broadly consistent across both satellite platforms. The research highlights the importance of taking into account all spatially distributed emission sources, as methane emissions often occur at ventilation shafts situated away from main mining infrastructures. The integrated use of multi-scale satellite remote sensing data provides complementary observational strengths that can significantly enhance future research and monitoring efforts of coal-mine methane emissions. This study underscores the necessity for comprehensive and accurate source location information to produce reliable emission accounting and monitoring strategies.