- 1University of Bremen, Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), Bremen, Germany
- 2UNEP's International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), Paris, France
- 3School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- 4Airborne Research Australia, Parafield Airport, SA, Australia
- 5Flinders University, College of Science and Engineering, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
- 6Environmental Defense Fund, Perth, WA, Australia
- 7Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, IMK-IFU, Garmisch-P., Germany
- 8Jade University of Applied Sciences, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- 9Alfred Wegener Institute - Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
- *A full list of authors appears at the end of the abstract
Methane (CH4) is the second most important greenhouse gas (GHG) whose atmospheric abundance is modified by anthropogenic activity. The reduction of CH4 emissions has been identified as an essential mitigation target for slowing man-made climate change. According to inventories, coal mining accounts for roughly 33% of fossil fuel and 11% of all anthropogenic CH4 emissions. Accurate identification of coal mining-related CH4 sources and quantification of their annual emission rate is needed for corporate reporting requirements, national inventory verification, and the development of CH4 mitigation strategies. In Australia, coal mining accounts for approximately 20% of reported CH4 emissions.
In the Bowen Basin in Queensland, Australia, over 40 active mines are distributed over 60,000 km2, with both open-pit and underground coal mines. A study using TROPOMI satellite measurements to estimate CH4 emissions from 3 clusters of coal mines in this region showed discrepancies with reported emissions during 2018 and 2019.
In September-October 2023, the Bowen Basin CH4 Mapping (BBCMap) Campaign was carried out. It was funded by and performed in collaboration with UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory as part of its Methane Science Studies. Two identical HK36 TTC Eco-Dimona research aircraft specifically designed as sensor platforms were deployed to conduct the measurements. One of these aircraft carried the MAMAP2D-Light (Methane Airborne MAPper 2D – Light) imaging spectrometer to estimate atmospheric CH4 and CO2 column anomalies, as well as a LIDAR to provide up-to-date topography scans. The second aircraft was fitted with an LGR UGGA gas analyzer and a suite of meteorological instrumentation to measure atmospheric CH4, CO2, and water vapor concentrations, as well as accurate winds and other basic meteorological parameters. It also carried a bag sampler to capture air samples for later isotopic analysis.
The campaign investigated emissions from approximately 33 mines in the Bowen Basin. In this contribution, we discuss CH4 emission estimates for both open-pit and underground coal mines using both in-situ and remote sensing measurements.
Mei Bai, Wolfgang Lieff, Adrian Murphy, Jakob Thoböll
How to cite: Borchardt, J., Harris, S. J., Hacker, J. M., Lunt, M., Krautwurst, S., Bösch, H., Bovensmann, H., Burrows, J. P., Chakravarty, S., Field, R. A., Gerilowski, K., Huhs, O., Junkermann, W., Kelly, B. F. J., Kumm, M., McGrath, A., and Schindewolf, J. and the Campaign Support Team: Methane emissions estimated from airborne measurements from open-pit and underground coal mines in the Bowen Basin, Australia, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16153, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16153, 2025.
