Mapping methane emission from Arctic tundra using satellite data, a digital elevation model, and discriminant functions based on field data

Arctic tundra is a significant source of atmospheric methane. The size of this source and its variation across landscapes, however, is uncertain. Images representing environmental variables relevant to methane emission have been derived from satellite data and a digital elevation model. Multivariate functions relating these environmental variables to methane emission have been derived from field data. The images will be combined using these functions into a digital map of methane emission rates within the study area. The map will be used to spatially extrapolate seasonally integrated methane emission values for several vegetation types typical of the study area. The resulting map of seasonal methane emission will incorporate both spatial and temporal variation in more detail than previous emission estimates.