Multi-decade global gas flaring change inventoried using the ATSR-1, ATSR-2, AATSR and SLSTR data records

Abstract The SWIR-radiance FRP method is applied to the Along Track Scanning Radiometer series of sensors, and the follow-on Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR) sensor to provide both the longest and the most recent assessment of global gas flaring activity to date. Our inventory covers more than two decades, and demonstrates that total flare site numbers peak in 2008 (~14,000 global 1-arcminute grid cells containing flares) and that since then there has been an overall reduction to mid-2018 (~10,400 cells) When considering radiant heat output (SWIR-radiance derived FRP), a downward global trend identified between 2000 (~15.1 GW) and 2011 (~12.4 GW) has stalled, with a slight increase observed by mid-2018 (~13 GW). We also find through calibration against flared gas quantities derived from the Defence Meteorological Satellite Programme (DMSP) satellites, that ~131 billion cubic metres of natural gas has been flared globally between May 2017 and May 2018.

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