Researchers use drones with advanced measurement equipment to estimate greenhouse gas emissions from the ground.

In August 2023, Norbert Pirk and Alouette van Hove from the University of Oslo(UiO) visited NIBIO Tjøtta. They used drones that measure methane and CO2 respectively at a height of about 20 metres above the barn, which houses between 60-70 cows. In addition, wind strength and wind direction were measured by suspending equipment in a so-called flux tower near the barn. If, for example, it is very windy, this must be calculated in, as the uncertainty in the measurements becomes greater. The measurements from the air can be compared with measurements of individual emissions from the cows inside the barn. This makes it possible to check whether the measurements in the air appear to be correct. This is groundbreaking work, and the big question is whether it is possible to measure emissions in this way, or whether it is still necessary to measure at the individual level. The researchers from UiO will also test the method in Germany, and hopefully in Kenya.

Drones that measure methane and CO2 respectively at a height of about 20 metres above the barn, which houses between 60-70 cows, at NIBIO Tjøtta, august 2023.

Photos: Vibeke Lind/project team