The amount of carbon dioxide in earth’s atmosphere is significantly increasing due to human activity and a lack of environmental friendly practices used by the public. According to NASA, one third of the carbon dioxide released into the air is dissolved into the ocean, which can threaten the livelihood of the marine ecosystem. Half of the carbon dioxide remains in the air. It is unknown where the remaining carbon dioxide goes, so to track the amount of carbon dioxide and its location, NASA has developed an earth orbiting satellite called OCO-2.
This new satellite will track and measure the carbon cycle and provide information as to where the remaining carbon dioxide will end up. During the ice ages, carbon dioxide levels were around 200 parts per million (ppm), or .2 g/L, and increased to 400 ppm, or .4 g/L, in 2013. It is important to know this information and be able to measure the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere so we can better prepare for changes in the environment. For example, an increased amount of carbon dioxide may cause extreme natural disasters and negatively impact food sources and animals. NASA’s new satellite will help to not only measure the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but it will also keep scientists informed about what to expect in the future regarding where the carbon dioxide will be absorbed and how this may impact the planet over time.
WOW, can’t believe that NASA has developed an earth orbiting satellite to measure the CO2 on earth. That’s wild and I can’t imagine the logistics it must have taken to create such a device. What’s really frightening to me is the amount of parts per million that CO2 levels have raised since the ice ages specifically because the large amount of people on earth now perpetuate a more rapid production of CO2, raising the ppm faster. More people should be aware of this disastrous impending future!
I think this new satellite is super amazing and will be crucial to decreasing the levels of carbon dioxide that gets trapped in our atmosphere. I am shocked that essentially only half of the CO2 that is produced actually gets used for what we want, and the other half just disappears. I’m very happy that NASA has incredible innovators who will spend their time trying to work this satellite because I think it is going to have a very positive impact on the health of our planet.
I really enjoyed your post! Based on what you’ve written, I think NASA and the satellite they’ve designed are really going to have a positive impact on our planet. It is really shocking to learn that we don’t know where half of the CO2 disappears to. According to an article written by the EPA that I read for my post, 46 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases were emitted in the year 2010 alone. I think that NASA and its satellite, combined with working to make better, more environmentally-friendly lifestyle choices can help us combat these numbers.
I think it is really important that NASA created this device to measure CO2 in the atmosphere. I think it is especially interesting that they can track where the Carbon Dioxide will end up. I think that is crucial as the CO2 levels have surpassed 400 ppm for the first time, so devices like these are going to help us take crucial steps towards the future of our planet. Similarly, in my post, I discussed the damages that occur when more and more CO2 is present in the atmosphere and these effects have become more apparent with extreme weather and temperatures raising. It is clear that this device can help scientists take steps to monitor and create further solutions.