Satellites built by GHGSat have captured plumes of methane belched by cows in a cattle feedlot in California's Joaquin Valley. This is the first instance when the emission of greenhouse gas through 'cattle eructation', the periodic belching by cattle to release gas, has been observed from space. According to the company, the methane emissions from cattle burps were captured by GHGSat's high-resolution satellites in February this year.

Satellites have captured the polluting power of cow burps from space for the first time ever, in a breakthrough that could help farmers slash methane emissions.

Beef and dairy have a hefty climate footprint in large part because cows burp out methane, a greenhouse gas many times more planet-warming than carbon dioxide.

Engineers at Canadian firm GHG Sat, which specialises in monitoring emissions from space, have caught these burps on camera for the first time using high-definition satellites.

In February they detected methane emissions coming from an agricultural area in California’s Joaquin Valley, and further analysis confirmed the source of the pollution as a cattle feedlot.

GHG Sat said five emissions were recorded, with cows burping out methane at a rate of up to 668 grams per hour. If this were sustained for a year, it would amount to enough gas to power 15,402 homes.

GHG Sat believes it marks the first time greenhouse gas emissions from cattle have been measured from space, thanks to advances in technologies for reading satellite images.