Research
Scientists tracked millions of phones to uncover patterns in carbon emissions
Earth.com · By Andrei Ionescu ·
The Brief
- Researchers used mobile phone location data to study patterns in carbon emissions.
- The article notes that conventional emission inventories lag reality by months, and that satellite-based inversions have their own trade-offs.
- The study was prompted by COVID-19 lockdowns in early 2020, which cut emissions sharply and exposed gaps in tracking instruments.
Why it matters
Faster, more granular emissions estimates could help scientists and policymakers see changes in emissions sooner than conventional inventories allow.
Who’s affected
- climate scientists
- atmospheric researchers
- policymakers working on emissions monitoring
- #carbon emissions
- #mobility data
- #emissions monitoring
- #covid-19
- #climate science
When COVID-19 lockdowns froze the planet in early 2020, carbon emissions plummeted almost overnight. The problem? The instruments tracking those emissions couldn’t keep up. Conventional inventories lag reality by months. Satellite inversions come with their own trade-offs between…
Timeline
COVID-19 lockdowns cause carbon emissions to plummet in early 2020
Earth.com
Scientists tracked millions of phones to uncover patterns in carbon emissions