Scientists from two universities and two federal agencies are trying to figure out what is causing a giant mass of methane over the Four Corners region -- where Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona meet, The Associated Press reported.

The hot spot, which is about half the size of Connecticut, was discovered based on the analysis of images a European satellite captured between 2003 and 2009.

Methane, a greenhouse gas, does not last as long in the atmosphere but is far more potent than carbon dioxide; over the Four Corners, it could trap more heat in the atmosphere than all the carbon dioxide produced each year in Sweden, a study conducted by NASA and the University of Michigan suggested.

The two institutions have now been joined by the University of Colorado and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to conduct a monthlong investigation into where the methane is coming from. The gas occurs naturally and also is emitted by landfills, as well as the agricultural and oil and natural gas industries, meaning the region's coal deposits could serve as a possible explanation.

Gabrielle Pétron, a scientist from the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences -- which also participates in the study -- told the Daily Mail that her and her colleagues' work is critical to determine how the methane mass, which factors into global warming, may be addressed.

"If we can verify the methane detected by the satellite and identify its sources, decision makers will have critical information for any actions they are considering," she explained.

It is possible, however, that methane levels over the Four Corners have changed since 2009, Pétron told the AP; coal-bed methane operations are known to have declined since the satellite images were captured, though oil production has increased.

To get a precise picture, scientists involved in the project will overfly the area in planes equipped with a variety of instruments that can sense methane, and crews in vans will follow up on their leads on the ground, the news service detailed.