Mapping ethylene plumes using satellite high-resolution imaging spectrometers that exploit the SWIR spectrum

Javier Roger , Adriana Valverde , Javier Gorroño , Michael Hilker, Zhipeng Pei , Itziar Irakulis-Loitxate, Luis Guanter

Ethylene (C2H4) is an important volatile organic compound that has a negative impact on human health, but space-based monitoring of plumes from this gas remains largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate, for the first time, that ethylene point-source emissions can be detected and quantified using shortwave infrared (SWIR) imaging spectroscopy, overcoming the spatial limitations of existing thermal infrared observations. As a proof of concept, we apply a matched filter approach to EMIT data and retrieve two ethylene plumes from industrial facilities in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. The emission rate of the first source is consistent with IASI measurements, whereas the second reveals a previously unreported hotspot, highlighting the potential of SWIR imaging spectrometers for high-resolution monitoring of ethylene sources.