## [ Science & research ](/scienceandresearch) ![MethaneSAT satellite above Earth](/sites/default/files/styles/1440px_width_scale/public/2026-02/MethaneSat_aboveEarth_uncropped.png?itok=_13OmLXA) # Science & Research MethaneSAT publications based on data from MethaneSAT, MethaneAIR and the broader satellite ecosystem MethaneSAT is more than a satellite. The mission includes scientists and researchers conducting ongoing analysis of data collected by MethaneSAT, MethaneAIR and the broader ecosystem of methane satellites. To date we have published dozens of peer-reviewed papers, with many more planned or in the peer review process. These studies broaden global understanding of the whole methane emissions picture, helping improve monitoring efforts and solutions to address the oil and gas industry’s methane emissions problem. **The research falls into 3 categories: calibration, algorithms, and data products.** ![Calibrate](/sites/default/files/styles/800x600_focal_point/public/2026-04/JHOUSTON_20250912_00849_calibrate.jpg?h=10d202d3&itok=igkv8K0m) CALIBRATE These studies improve accuracy, precision, and reliability of MethaneSAT measurements by comparing instrument readings against known standards, characterizing and correcting sources of errors, and ensuring the data remains stable, traceable, and reliable over time. ![Algorithm](/sites/default/files/styles/800x600_focal_point/public/2026-04/MethaneSAT_SneakPeek_newHeatmap2025_algorithms.jpg?h=c74750f6&itok=mbWGYYZu) ALGORITHMS Studies about science algorithms advance the methods and technical innovations that turn MethaneSAT observations into actionable, decision-ready results. This includes quantification methods, processing efficiency, cloud screening, and more. ![Data Products](/sites/default/files/styles/800x600_focal_point/public/2026-04/JHOUSTON_20250915_00938_data_products.jpg?h=10d202d3&itok=81YAgEMv) DATA PRODUCTS These studies use MethaneSAT data to produce practical insights and tools to drive methane mitigation, showing how our data can help understand emissions patterns, inform scientific research, and strengthen climate policy, accountability, and transparency. Latest published research Algorithms March 9, 2026 ## [ Deep learning for clouds and cloud shadow segmentation in methane satellite and airborne imaging spectroscopy. ](https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11426920) Read summaryThis study tackles one of the biggest challenges in hyperspectral remote sensing: detecting clouds and cloud shadows. By developing and benchmarking deep learning models, the team significantly improved cloud and shadow segmentation performance for both MethaneSAT and its airborne partner, MethaneAIR. These improvements enhance the reliability of methane retrievals worldwide, strengthening MethaneSAT’s capacity to support actionable climate solutions. Data Products March 1, 2026 ## [ Space-based assessment of NOx emissions from global oil and gas fields: Bridging the gap in current emission inventories ](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2025.115229) Read summaryUsing TROPOMI and VIIRS satellite instruments to measure nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from 44 major oil and gas regions around the world, the study finds that commonly used emission inventories significantly underestimate NOx emissions from these activities -- in some cases by more than 70% -- meaning a major source of air pollution is being undercounted. It also show that NOx emissions often occur alongside methane emissions, highlighting important links between air quality and climate impacts from oil and gas operations. Data Products February 26, 2026 ## [ Surveying methane point-source super-emissions across oil and gas basins with MethaneSAT ](https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/26/2941/2026/) Read summaryDemonstrates MethaneSAT's capabilities to survey high-emitting methane sources across global oil and gas basins. Analysis of global hotspots reveals persistent sources in Turkmenistan’s South Caspian and the US Permian Basin, alongside major super-emitters in Venezuela, Iran, and the Appalachian basin. Authors also identify significant emissions in West Siberia, offshore Gulf of Mexico, and from the waste sector. These results highlight MethaneSAT’s utility in mapping regional methane hotspots and super-emitters worldwide. Data Products January 26, 2026 ## [ Assessment of methane emissions from US onshore oil and gas production using MethaneAIR measurements ](https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/26/1179/2026/) Read summaryUsing observations from MethaneAIR from regions responsible for 70% of 2023 U.S. onshore oil and gas production, this study estimates total oil/gas methane emissions to be ~8 Tg/yr—around five times higher than U.S. EPA estimates and equivalent to a 1.6% methane loss rate. Performance varies widely by basin, with highly productive regions like the Permian, Appalachian, and Haynesville-Bossier showing the largest total emissions, while older basins such as the Uinta and Piceance exhibit higher loss rates. Regional comparisons showed good agreement across total emissions quantified by MethaneAIR and other empirical and remote sensing estimates. Algorithms December 7, 2025 ## [ Spectral Channel Attention Network: A Method for Hyperspectral Semantic Segmentation of Cloud and Shadows. ](https://www.climatechange.ai/papers/neurips2025/38) Read summaryIntroduces the Spectral Channel Attention Network (SCAN), a deep learning approach designed to improve cloud and cloud shadow detection in hyperspectral imagery from MethaneSAT and MethaneAIR. By dynamically weighting individual spectral bands based on their physical relevance, rather than treating all wavelengths equally, SCAN outperforms traditional U-Net and transformer-based attention models on MethaneSAT data, improving F1-scores and shadow detection accuracy. When combined with spatial models in an ensemble framework, the approach achieves state-of-the-art performance, directly strengthening the reliability of satellite-based methane retrievals worldwide. [View all publications](/publications)