Earth ID: 4890

GeoCarb Observes Greenhouse Gasses from Geosynchronous Orbit

Visualizations by Greg Shirah Released on April 2, 2021

This visualization shows the GeoCarb spacecraft orbiting the Earth and taking data. The visualization starts close to the Earth with the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO-2) orbiting and taking carbon dioxide data shown as a thin trail underneath the spacecraft. These measurements are critical for our understanding of the climate. However, the OCO-2 swath is narrow and it takes a long time to cover a large region.

GeoCarb is a follow-on mission to OCO-2 which also measures carbon dioxide. However, GeoCarb's is in a geosynchronous orbit. This means that GeoCarb stays over the same location on the Earth, so it has a continuous view. GeoCarb orbits over North and South America. It is able to make scans of most of North and South America twice per day in the northern hemisphere summer. Geocarb has a resolution of 6km wide by 4km high; this means that each 'pixel' of GeoCarb data represents that area. Like OCO-2 GeoCarb can not make measurements at night.

In addition to carbon dioxide, GeoCarb also measures carbon monoxide, methane, and solar induced fluorescence. Each of these constituents provide additional, vital information for climate research.

Print resolution still of Los Angeles region showing carbon dioxide and GeoCarb resolution. Each box is 6km wide by 3 km high which is the extent of each individual GeoCarb measurement

Visualization Credits

Greg Shirah (NASA/GSFC): Lead Visualizer
Sean Crowell (University of Oklahoma): Deputy Principal Investigator
Adam Matuszeski (NASA/GSFC): Deputy Project Manager
Timothy Miller (University of Oklahoma): Deputy Instrument Scientist
Lauren Capraro (University of Oklahoma): Communications Specialist
Berrien Moore (University of Oklahoma): Principal Investigator
Todd King (NASA/GSFC): Project Manager
Cindy Starr (Global Science and Technology, Inc.): Visualizer
Laurence Schuler (ADNET Systems, Inc.): Technical Support
Ian Jones (ADNET Systems, Inc.): Technical Support
Lori Perkins (NASA/GSFC): Visualizer
Mark SubbaRao (NASA/GSFC): Visualizer

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio

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