Media Releases and Opportunities

Researchers using satellite data and AI to track methane emissions from Canadian dairy farms have identified certain trends on when they peak, how the pandemic affected their release and areas in the country that emitted the highest amounts of the potent greenhouse gas.

The Canadian dairy industry contributes significantly to methane emissions through cows' belches and natural digestive process, which releases methane, and manure management practices. These activities have led to a fourfold increase in emissions over the past 130 years.

Benchmarking methane emissions is essential for establishing accurate baselines, setting realistic emission reduction targets and tracking progress toward sustainability goals.

Dr. Suresh Neethirajan, associate professor and research chair in Dalhousie University's Faculty of Computer Science and the Faculty of Agriculture, led a study that used NASA and European Space Agency satellite data along with advanced machine learning techniques to establish a methane concentration benchmark that could also predict future emission trends in the Canadian dairy sector.

Dr. Neethirajan and his team analyzed weekly methane concentration data from 575 dairy farms and 380 dairy processors to reveal interesting patterns: methane levels peak during autumn and Ontario has the highest concentrations in the country. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in unexpected shifts in methane emissions due to altered production methods and disrupted supply chains.

Dr. Neethirajan is available to discuss the findings and how this pioneering approach not only demonstrates the untapped potential of combining satellite data with machine learning for environmental monitoring, but also paves the way for informed emission reduction strategies in the dairy sector.

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Media contact:

Alison Auld
Senior Research Reporter
Dalhousie University
Cell: 1-902-220-0491
Email: alison.auld@dal.ca