Analyzing methane emissions in five Indian cities using TROPOMI data from sentinel-5 precursor satellite

Methane (CH₄) is a greenhouse gas, and studying it is essential due to its high global warming potential and significant role in climate change. The present study investigated the spatiotemporal variations of CH₄ in five cities (i.e., Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Jaipur) of India to better understand its distribution and trends from 2019 to 2023. The study also investigated relationship between CH₄ and various parameters such as land surface temperature, spectral indices, meteorological variables, heat flux, and urbanization parameters. In Ahmedabad, it was observed that CH₄ was most sensitive to change in Northward Turbulent Surface Stress (NWSS). Jaipur demonstrated a very strong correlation with eastward wind (r = −0.747), while Ahmedabad exhibited a strong correlation with NWSS (r = 0.828) and temperature at 2 m (r = 0.826). The study categorized CH₄ concentrations across different land use and land cover classes, revealing distinct spatial patterns of CH₄ distribution within urban environments. Spatial autocorrelation analysis showed that Jaipur displayed the highest clustering of CH₄ values. This study provides insights that could help policymakers and urban planners implement effective measures to reduce CH₄ emissions, supporting efforts to mitigate climate change and its impacts.