- Original Caption Released with Image:
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Annotated Version
Both images in the slide show the global spreading of carbon dioxide
on the Earth globe as it follows the large scale patterns of the
atmospheric general circulations. The color codes in these two images
are different in order to account for the carbon dioxide increase
from 2003 to 2007. The 2003 carbon dioxide image is the first global
image to be derived from space observations. If the color bar for
2003 were to be used for 2007, the resulting 2007 map would be
saturated with reddish colors, and the fine structure of the
distribution of carbon dioxide obscured.
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) in conjunction with the
Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) sense emitted infrared and
microwave radiation from the Earth to provide a three-dimensional
look at Earth's weather and climate. Working in tandem, the two
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, cloud amounts and heights, greenhouse gas concentrations,
and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS and AMSU fly onboard
NASA's Aqua spacecraft and are managed by the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, Pasadena, California, under contract to NASA. JPL is a
division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
The AIRS Public Web site can be found at http://airs.jpl.nasa.gov.
- Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL
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