Although originally designed to measure atmospheric water vapor and
temperature for weather forecasting, scientists working with the
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on the NASA Aqua Spacecraft
are now using AIRS to observe atmospheric carbon dioxide. Scientists from
NASA, NOAA, ECMWF, UMBC, Princeton and CalTech using several different
methods are measuring the concentration of carbon dioxide in the
mid-troposphere (about 8 km above the surface). The global map of carbon
dioxide above, produced by AIRS Team Leader Dr. Moustafa Chahine at JPL,
shows that despite the high degree of mixing that occurs with carbon
dioxide, the regional distribution can still be seen by the time the gases
reach the mid troposphere. Climate modelers are currently using the AIRS
data to understand the global distribution and transport of carbon dioxide
and improve their models.
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared,
and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's
weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous
observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence
of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions
of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric
temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse
gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder
Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL
is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
