Comment on egusphere-2024-2457

Abstract

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An inverse study of atmospheric methane (CH4) estimated regional and sectoral emission contributions to the unprecedented surge of the atmospheric growth rate for 2020-2022. Three inverse analyses, which used only surface observations, surface and aircraft observations, and satellite (GOSAT) observations, consistently suggested notable emission increases in the tropics (15°S-10°N) (10-18 Tg CH4 yr −1 ) and in northern low-latitudes (10-35°N) (ca. 20 Tg CH4 yr −1 ), the latter of which likely contributed to the growth rate surge from 2020. The emission increase in the northern low-latitudes is attributed to emissions in South Asia (6-7 Tg CH4 yr −1 ) and northern Southeast Asia (5 Tg CH4 yr −1 ), which abruptly increased from 2019 to 2020, and elevated emissions continued until 2022. Meanwhile, the tropical emission increase is dominated by tropical South America (5-7 Tg CH4 yr −1 ) and central Africa (3-6 Tg CH4 yr −1 ), but they were continuously increasing before 2019.