NASA will examine microscopic plankton and aerosols from space

The satellite will examine microscopic plants and particles from hundreds of kilometers above the Earth. The goal is to better understand how such tiny things can affect the entire planet, because sometimes to understand an event you need to look at it from a broader perspective.

Observations will be made from space to solve the climate crisis

Plankton are also oceanic forms the basis of food chains and this makes them extremely important to the health of marine ecosystems and fisheries. Each with unique interactions with their environment tens of thousands of different phytoplankton species There are: red tide Some of them can be beneficial, while others can be potentially harmful, such as toxic algal blooms called algal blooms.

Although red tide is an extreme example, different types of phytoplankton can cause the sea surface to appear different colors. Generally, the human eye cannot perceive this up close. PACE carried by its satellite hiperspektral ocean color tool ultraviolet, near infrared and visible will make observations in light spectrums. In this way, scientists from space For the first time, they will be able to distinguish phytoplankton species by their unique colors.

The atmosphere will be examined along with the oceans

PACE two other vehicles on its satellite particles in the atmosphereespecially those that may affect air quality will examine aerosols. Although the perception that aerosols are completely harmful is accepted, in fact, aerosol particles and some clouds that can form around them play an important role in reflecting solar radiation back to space. Therefore, having fewer aerosols in the atmosphere could unintentionally accelerate global warming.

PACE’deki two polarimeter devices depending on how they reflect light what types of aerosols are available will detect. Knowing what types of aerosols exist can help scientists fine-tune climate models, making them more sustainable for the future. in correct predictions will enable them to be found.

The information collected here may provide basis for some “science-fiction” initiatives whose foundations have been laid today. There was some early work on ways to potentially increase carbon dioxide absorption by providing more nutrients to phytoplankton. While a startup’s attempts to pump aerosols into the atmosphere to stop global warming have been on the agenda lately, the question “Should we turn off the Sun against climate change?” He made us ask the question.

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