Science

OCO-2

Catalogued as OCO 2

Carbon Cycle Monitor · NASA / JPL

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 measures atmospheric carbon dioxide with precision never before achieved from space. By comparing CO2 levels at different locations, it can pinpoint where carbon is being absorbed by forests and oceans — and where it's being emitted by human activity. OCO-2 revealed that tropical forests are more fragile carbon sinks than assumed, and that droughts can temporarily turn entire regions from carbon absorbers into emitters. A critical instrument in understanding the carbon cycle driving climate change.