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Project title

SourcEs And Sinks Of methaNe

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

University of Galway

Lead Applicant

Jurgita Ovadnevaite

Project Abstract

This project will further develop a methane emissions verification system for Ireland to identify sources and sinks. The three critical components of this emissions verification system are firstly, an operational network of precise long-term METHANE measurements: secondly, a top-down inversion model, which can generate accurate METHANE emissions estimates with the network measurements as one of the key inputs driving the model and thirdly new and innovative satellite data available from MethaneSAT, a recently launched satellite will be used to constrain the inversion data. Data for the inversions will be augmented by the recently established Valentia Island (VTI) site and the site location (close to areas of high agricultural activity) should reduce the uncertainty of the inversions in these key areas. In this project we utilise a modelling network called FLEXINVERT. This is a Bayesian inversion framework developed to optimise surface to atmosphere fluxes of an atmospheric species that has linearised chemistry based on atmospheric measurements at mobile or fixed stations. The background and experience of the group ensures that the project objectives proposed here are clear, realistic, measurable and achievable and represent the most appropriate methodologies to achieve the main goal of the project. Existing infrastructure and expertise ensure that these objectives can be achieved within the three-year duration of the project

Grant Approved

€470,108.25

Research Hub

Addressing Climate Change Evidence Needs

Research Theme

n/a

Start Date

31/03/2026

Initial Projected Completion Date

30/03/2029