Good news: NASA launches carbon dioxide space mission to better understand global warming
Last updated 25/02/2009 12:51:18
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(c) NASA
Nasa is today launching its first mission dedicated to measuring carbon dioxide from space. After launch, the Orbiting Carbon Observatory will collect precise global measurements of CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere.
Scientists will analyse its data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas.
This improved understanding will enable more reliable forecasts offuture changes in the abundance and distribution of CO2 in the atmosphere and the effect that these changes may have on the Earth's climate.
The observatory is the latest Earth orbiting mission sponsored by NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Project. Its missions share a common goal of improving the capability of Earth scientists to predict changes in weather, climate and natural hazards.
David Crisp of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said: "Carbon dioxide is the primary human-produced greenhouse gas and, therefore, the primary human-caused driver of global warming."
"To estimate the rate of global warming, we have to understand the processes controlling the buildup of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere. Global, space-based monitoring systems like the Orbiting Carbon Observatory are essential tools for this task. The technology we validate on this mission will be used to develop future carbon dioxide monitoring missions."
For more information on the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, visit: www.nasa.gov/oco