UNSW Sydney scientists are getting up close to cattle to accurately measure just how much methane they release into the atmosphere.
A team of scientists from UNSW were recently awarded a grant to verify the measurements of atmospheric methane from the newly launched high-resolution methane-sensing satellite, MethaneSAT.
The UNSW methane science team leader, Associate Professor Bryce Kelly from the School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, says the belching and manure from bulls, steers, heifers and cows is responsible for nearly one third of Australia's reportable methane emissions.
He and the team will measure these methane emissions directly from feedlots, using high-precision methane analysers attached to cars and aircraft.
The data collected from these surveys will be used to validate the rate of methane emission estimates derived from MethaneSAT's measurements.
The findings will then inform the Australian agricultural sector on how to improve the management of their methane emissions.
The project was funded just ahead of the release of the Global Methane Budget 2024, which found methane emissions from human activities increased by 20% in the past two decades.
