(C) NASA
This story was originally published by NASA and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
NASA’s BlueFlux Campaign Supports Blue Carbon Management in South Florida [1]
[]
Date: 2024-11
In the air, GHG concentrations are measured using a well-established technique called cavity ringdown spectroscopy, which involves firing a laser into a small cavity where it will ping back and forth between two highly reflective mirrors. Most gas-phase molecules absorb light at specific wavelengths, depending on their atomic makeup. Since the target molecules in this case are CO 2 and CH 4 , the laser is configured to emit light at a wavelength that only these molecules will absorb. As the laser bounces between the mirrors, a fraction of the light is absorbed by any molecules present in the chamber. The rate of the light’s decay is used to estimate CO 2 and CH 4 concentrations, generating a time series with continuous readings of gas concentrations, measured in parts per million – see Photo 8. This information is combined with measurements of vertical wind velocity to calculate a corresponding time series of fluxes along the flight track. While these measurements are important on their own, a priority for the airborne team is understanding GHG fluxes in relation to what’s happening on the ground.
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/earth-science/nasas-blueflux-campaign-supports-blue-carbon-management-in-south-florida/
Published and (C) by NASA
Content appears here under this condition or license: Public Domain.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/nasa/
