High-resolution mapping of NOx emissions from the Canadian Oil Sands from TROPOMI

Direct estimates of air pollution emissions using a combination of satellite observations and meteorological reanalyses are becoming increasingly advanced and widely used. In this presentation, a new such methodology, able to resolve NO_x emissions from multiple, adjacent emissions sites of varying sizes, but still applicable over larger scales, is presented. This method was applied to TROPOMI NO₂ observations over the entirety of the Canadian oil sands, deriving emissions from small-to-large surface and in-situ mining operations. Initial comparisons with best available bottom-up emissions estimates show good consistency, and that TROPOMI is able to discern NO_x emissions at the 1 kt[NO₂]/yr level.