What is the purpose of the OCO-3 and why is its placement on the ISS important?
Mounted externally on the underside of the space station, OCO-3 will collect the first dawn-to-dusk observations of variations in carbon dioxidefrom space over tropical and mid-latitude regions, giving a better view of emission and absorption processes.
What does OCO-3 measure?
The OCO-3 spectrometers measures sunlight reflected off the Earth’s surface. The sunlight rays entering the spectrometers will pass through the atmosphere twice – once as they travel from the Sun to the Earth, and then again as they bounce off from the Earth’s surface to the OCO-3 instrument.
What advantage does OCO-3 have in recording data compared to most satellites?
OCO-3 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3) Instrument Combining the data from the three spectrometers allows researchers to obtain a measurement of CO2 so accurate that it records the difference between, for example, 405 and 406 molecules of the gas in every 1 million molecules of air.
What does the OCO-2 satellite do?
The Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2, or OCO-2, is an Earth satellite mission designed to study the sources and sinks of carbon dioxide globally and provide scientists with a better idea of how carbon is contributing to climate change.
Why is the location of Mauna Loa ideal for measuring co2 in the atmosphere?
We have confidence that the CO2 measurements made at the Mauna Loa Observatory reflect truth about our global atmosphere. The main reasons for that confidence are: The Observatory near the summit of Mauna Loa, at an altitude of 3400 m, is well situated to measure air masses that are representative of very large areas.
How do Earth observation satellites work?
Passive satellites detect radiation reflected off the Earth’s surface, such as visible light and infrared. In general, passive satellites are not able to work through clouds. Active satellites transmit energy towards the Earth and measure the returned signal which provides information about the Earth’s surface.
Is OCO-2 still active?
OCO-2 was launched on July 2, 2014 and was the first US satellite dedicated to measuring atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) from space, and it is still making measurements today! CO2 is a greenhouse gas, and it has been shown to be increasing due to human activities.
Where is Mauna Loa located?
the island of Hawaii
Mauna Loa, the world’s largest volcano, located on the south-central part of the island of Hawaii, Hawaii state, U.S., and a part of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Why was the summit of Mauna Loa chosen by Keeling to be the location where continuous CO2 monitoring was started?
In 1957 Dave Keeling, who was the first to make accurate measurements of CO2 in the atmosphere, chose the site high up on the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano because he wanted to measure CO2 in air masses that would be representative of much of the Northern Hemisphere, and, hopefully, the globe.
How much did OCO 2 cost?
467.7 million USD (2014)Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 / Cost
Is Mauna Loa taller than Mount Everest?
Only about 13,448 ft/4100m of Mauna Loa are above sea level, so it may not seem like a very tall mountain. But, when you start measuring Mauna Loa from its true base on the bottom of the ocean, in the Hawaiian Trough, the total height exceeds that of Everest by over 3/4 of a mile.
Where is Krakatoa located?
Sunda Strait
Krakatau is located in the Sunda Strait between Indonesia’s Java and Sumatra Islands and experienced a major caldera collapse around 535 CE, forming a 7-km-wide caldera ringed by three islands called Verlaten, Lang, and Rakata.
Why do you think scientists chose the top of Mauna Loa Hawaii as the best place to measure atmospheric CO2 concentrations?
What tectonic plate is Mauna Loa located on?
the Pacific tectonic plate
Like all Hawaiian volcanoes, Mauna Loa was created as the Pacific tectonic plate moved over the Hawaii hotspot in the Earth’s underlying mantle.
Where will the OCO-3 instrument be installed on the International Space Station?
After launch and docking with the International Space Station, the OCO-3 instrument will be installed on the ISS JEM-EF (Japanese Experiment Module- Exposed Facility) where it will be operating for the duration of the mission. 2)
Where is OCO-3 located?
The Japanese Experiment Module, EFU 3 is the occupied location second from the left. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 ( OCO-3) is a NASA – JPL instrument designed to measure carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere. The instrument is mounted on the Japanese Experiment Module-Exposed Facility on board the International Space Station (ISS).
What happened to OCO-2?
A little over 5 years after the OCO launch failure, OCO-2 launched from Vandenburg Air Force Base on Wednesday, July 2, 2014. Originally flown on a Taurus XL, OCO-2 flew on a Boeing Delta II 7320-10C. The Delta II is one of the most successful launch vehicles ever flown with well over 100 successful launches.
What rocket did OCO-2 fly on?
Originally flown on a Taurus XL, OCO-2 flew on a Boeing Delta II 7320-10C. The Delta II is one of the most successful launch vehicles ever flown with well over 100 successful launches. OCO-2 was built based on the original Orbiting Carbon Observatory mission to minimize cost, schedule and performance impacts.