Frances Reuland: Initial results for 2025 single-blind controlled release testing of satellite-based methane detection and quantification

Abstract 

Space-based methods, including passive remote sensing, offer a promising tool for consistent monitoring and detection of large methane sources worldwide. Numerous instruments and algorithmic approaches to methane source detection and quantification are in place and under development; however, very few publicly available ground-truth datasets exist to validate performance, particularly for newer satellite platforms launched in the past three years. We introduce a novel dataset comprising ~290 controlled methane releases conducted under both cooperative (unblinded) and single-blind study designs. The releases, conducted at two U.S. locations between August 2024 and March 2025, coincide with overpasses from 12 satellites and 1 airplane instrument, spanning government, non-profit, and private missions. The dataset includes high-resolution time series of gas flow rates (1s) and meteorological measurements during each release, including multi-height wind speed (5s), wind direction, cloud cover, and sky images (~30s). In addition, we present initial results evaluating the detection and quantification performance of 12 analyzing teams for single-blind releases where the release location was known.

Bio

Fran is a PhD candidate in Energy Science & Engineering and a Knight Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University. Before becoming a Stanford student, she spent three years at the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) in Boulder, Colorado working on decarbonization solutions for the oil and gas sector. She has a particular focus on methane detection, mitigation, and policy solutions. Prior to RMI, she held a position at the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris, France working to support IEA's work on methane from the petroleum sector. She is a graduate and varsity women's soccer player of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Fran earned a B.S. with High Honors in Environmental Science, a Chemistry minor, and a B.A. in Spanish. She has continued her competitive soccer career playing in France, Colorado, and California.