The Methane Airborne Mapper for remote-sensing of atmoshperic CH4 and CO2 column mixing ratio

MAMap

The Methane Airborne Mapper (MAMap) performs quantitative CO₂ and CH₄ remote sensing measurements of the atmospheric column between an aircraft and the Earth’s surface. Its two spectrometers cover wavelengths of 1.59-1.62µm for CO₂, 1.63-1.75μm for CH₄ and 760nm for O₂. A CH₄ detection limit of < 35ppbv and a resolution of < 3% (at atmospheric background concentration of 1750ppbv) have been ascertained, which makes it possible to detect small changes within the atmospheric CH₄ column at a local and regional scale.
MAMap addresses the uncertainties in the current greenhouse gas emission budgets and provides a link between local ground-based small-scale and global satellite-based measurements. The aim of current and future MAMap research programs is the detection and quantification of CH₄ and CO₂ emission sources of both natural and anthropogenic origin. MAMap is designed for flexible operations in various aircraft, e.g. the DLR Dornier 228, the DLR ‘Falcon’, the AWI POLAR 5 or the DLR Gulfstream ‘HALO’ aircraft.
In 2007, first airborne measurements were performed successfully. Targets of these observations were brown coal power plants (as a source of CO₂) and flooded peatlands (as a source of CH₄). With MAMap we were able to map the changes of both gases within the atmospheric column. Please refer to the more detailed information presented here. The MAMap project is a cooperation between the GFZ Potsdam and the IUP of the University of Bremen.

 

• Contact:  Dr. Andreas Tretner

• more about the MaMap project...