Estimation of Greenhouse Gas Emission by Employing Remote Sensing Techniques

Greenhouse effect is the major rationale for the change in climate change and the global warming. The major greenhouse gases are methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide (CO). The common sources of GHGs include combustion of the fossil fuel, deforestation, cement production, agriculture, landfills, industries, electric power production, commercial and residential areas, etc. Accurate estimation of GHGs is critical to understand their environmental impacts and develop effective mitigation strategies for their reduction. Remote sensing techniques have revolutionized the ability to monitor and assess the GHG emissions worldwide. Remote sensing provides valuable tools to collect spatially and temporally continuous data that can be employed to estimate greenhouse gas emissions at various scales. A more precise and thorough calculation of the GHG emissions is made possible by combining satellite data with ground-based observations, atmospheric models, and other complementary data sources, which support the improvement of mitigation methods and policies. Aircraft-based platforms offer more spatial resolution than satellites, and they can be adapted for specific requirements of the greenhouse gas assessment studies. Unmanned Aerial vehicles equipped with remote sensing sensors are utilized to assess greenhouse gas emissions in areas where access is limited or hazardous. Vegetation indices combined with land cover classification can help assess the impact of land use changes on the emissions of greenhouse gases. Hyperspectral remote sensing’s good spectral resolution allows better detection and the quantification of GHGs. Hyperspectral-based remote sensing can be integrated with auxiliary data, e.g., meteorological data, land cover data, and topographic features, for estimation of greenhouse gas emission improvement. Advanced techniques such as hyperspectral imaging or active sensor-based remote sensing (e.g., LiDAR) can be employed to obtain more accurate greenhouse gas estimates. The RS data might not have the necessary geographical and the temporal resolution to precisely capture regional or transient GHG fluctuations. Remote sensing enables the GHG monitoring and mapping concentrations, by the source of emission identification and evaluation of spatiotemporal patterns through using satellites, aircrafts, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The continued evolution of the remote sensing technology, combined with interdisciplinary collaboration and continued research, will further refine and expand the applications of this methodology, ultimately helping to understand the agricultural sector’s contribution to greenhouse gases and inform the improvement of better mitigation strategies.