Estimation of atmospheric methane levels over the Republic of Tatarstan (Russia) territory in 2019–2023 using satellite remote sensing data: effects of anthropogenic and climate drivers

Abstract

Methane (CH4) is the second most prevalent greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide. Its concentration in the atmosphere has been increasing at an accelerated rate in recent years, primarily attributed to anthropogenic activities. The article provides an assessment of methane concentrations over the Republic of Tatarstan (Russia) territory for a five-year period (2019–2023) using TROPOMI/Sentinel-5P data. Access to the data and key operations were conducted through the Google Earth Engine cloud platform. On average, the methane concentration was 1835±9 parts per billion (ppb) in 2019, 1854±12 ppb in 2020, 1863±9 ppb in 2021, 1868±10 ppb in 2022, and 1877±8 ppb in 2023, respectively. The average CH4 concentration for the study period (2019–2023) was 1865±7 ppb. There is a steady trend of increasing annual background methane levels.