JPL
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
JPL Logo
JPL Logo
Image

Carbon Dioxide in Earth's Mid-Troposphere, April 2013 Monthly Average

May 22, 2013
This map created with data from the AIRS on NASA's Aqua satellite shows the concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth's mid-troposphere, located roughly between 3 to 6 miles (5 to 9 kilometers) in altitude.

This map created with data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite shows the concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth's mid-troposphere, located roughly between 3 to 6 miles (5 to 9 kilometers) in altitude. Darker red colors correspond to higher concentrations of carbon dioxide, which are seen mostly in the northern latitudes. This is a typical pattern for this time of year, which follows the die-off of vegetation in winter when soil and plants release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Much of the regional variability seen in this map is due to weather patterns that move higher concentrations of carbon dioxide from Earth's surface into and out of the mid-troposphere where the AIRS instrument detects carbon dioxide best. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the mid-troposphere lags the concentration found at the surface as mixing from the lower to upper altitudes usually takes days to weeks. In addition, changes in concentration of carbon dioxide at Earth's surface are not always carried up to higher altitudes.

About AIRS
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder, AIRS, in conjunction with the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit, AMSU, senses emitted infrared and microwave radiation from Earth to provide a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather and climate. Working in tandem, the two instruments make simultaneous observations all the way down to 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, three-dimensional map of atmospheric temperature and humidity, cloud amounts and heights, greenhouse gas concentrations, and many other atmospheric phenomena. Launched into Earth orbit in 2002, the AIRS and AMSU instruments fly onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and are managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

More information about AIRS can be found at http://airs.jpl.nasa.gov.

Download JPG
Download TIFF
Mission
  • Aquarius
Target
  • Earth
Spacecraft
  • Aqua
Instrument
  • Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)
Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech

Keep Exploring

NASA's AIRS Instrument Monitors Carbon Monoxide From California Wildfires

AIRS Captures Hurricane Douglas

AIRS Captures Tropical Storm Hanna

Tropical Storm Fay 2020

NASA's AIRS Displays Sulfur Dioxide Plumes After Raikoke Eruption, June 2019

AIRS Measures the Clouds in Hurricane Dorian

NASA's AIRS Maps Carbon Monoxide from Brazil Fires

NASA's AIRS Images Tropical Storm Barry Before Landfall

NASA's AIRS Images Cyclone Fani Before Landfall

NASA's AIRS Images Cyclone Kenneth over Mozambique

Related Topic

News .

A Pioneering NASA Mini Weather Satellite Ends Its Mission

News .

NASA Satellites Help Quantify Forests’ Impacts on the Global Carbon Budget

News .

NASA’s Perseverance Pays Off Back Home

News .

Warming Seas Are Accelerating Greenland’s Glacier Retreat

Topic .

Earth

Infographic .

Inside Hurrricanes

Audio .

Episode 10: A Voyager’s View of Earth

Audio .

Episode 9: Life Bound

News .

NASA, US and European Partner Satellite Returns First Sea Level Measurements

Audio .

Episode 8: Fueled by Fire

About JPL
Who We Are
Executive Council
Directors of JPL
JPL History
Documentary Series
Virtual Tour
Annual Reports
Missions
All
Current
Past
Future
News
All
Earth
Mars
Solar System
Universe
Technology
Galleries
Images
Videos
Audio
Podcasts
Infographics
Visions of the Future
Slice of History
Engage
JPL and the Community
Lecture Series
Public Tours
Events
Team Competitions
JPL Speakers Bureau
Topics
Solar System
Mars
Earth
Climate Change
Stars and Galaxies
Exoplanets
Technology
JPL Life
For Media
Contacts and Information
Press Kits
More
Asteroid Watch
Robotics at JPL
Subscribe to Newsletter
Universe Newsletter
Social Media
Get the Latest from JPL
Follow Us

JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by Caltech.

More from JPL
Careers Education Science & Technology Acquisitions JPL Store
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
Acquisitions
JPL Store
Related NASA Sites
Basics of Spaceflight
Climate Kids
Earth / Global Climate Change
Exoplanet Exploration
Mars Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Space Place
NASA's Eyes Visualization Project
Voyager Interstellar Mission
NASA
Caltech
Privacy
Image Policy
FAQ
Feedback
Site Manager: Veronica McGregor
Site Editors: Tony Greicius, Randal Jackson, Naomi Hartono