Emission and deposition products from Agricultural Atmospheric Emissions (AGATE)

Regions with intensive agriculture, e.g. India, Belgium, Netherlands, and the Po-Valley, often suffer from air pollution and acidification/nitrification of the soil. In addition, these regions are often responsible for the release of methane emissions. Methane (CH4), the second most important greenhouse gas (GHG) after carbon dioxide (CO2), is emitted from cattle farms, rice paddies and the use of manure. Excessive anthropogenic emissions of nitrogen compounds to the environment have a major effect on the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle. Agricultural activities produce noteworthy ammonia (NH3) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions. NH3 is mainly emitted from stables and via the spreading of manure and use of fertilizers. NOx emissions mainly stem from fossil fuel combustion, while soil emissions are dominant in remote areas. The role of soil NOx emissions on air quality is usually underestimated. Current methods for estimating emissions of those gases are based on the collection of activity data with associated emission factors having large uncertainties.

The AGATE project of ESA aims to provide and improve agricultural emissions of CH4, NH3, and NOx independently by using satellite observations, i.e. without relying on the reported information or a-priori information.  Satellite-derived emission estimates are calculated for targeted agricultural regions in Europe and South(east) Asia. The derived emissions are downscaled and validated to provide high-resolution emissions for specific subsectors (crops and livestock) and agricultural hotspots. In addtion, nitrogen deposition modelling is conducted to assess the impact of nitrogen deposition on natural areas within the European regions under study.