Aerosols vary a great deal from place to place and over time. Knowing their type and distribution benefits people everywhere. The Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite mission will help capture a complete and accurate picture of aerosols around the globe.
Phosphorous (For Us Plants)
Phosphorus is an important ingredient for plant growth. However, in tropical regions such as the Amazon, it is quite limited. Each year, Saharan dust is transported by winds across the Atlantic Ocean.
Studies show that wind-blown phosphorous added to Amazon soils helps compensate for losses from floods and surface runoff. However, the amount of dust transported from Africa changes from year to year. This variation is closely associated with changes in rainfall south of the Sahara. Characterizing long-distance connections between rainfall and dust transport sheds light on the potential impacts of climate change.
Fueling Phytoplankton with "Fe"
Not only does Saharan dust nourish plants on land, it fuels the growth of tiny algae in our ocean, phytoplankton. Why is this important? Phytoplankton are primary producers that turn sunlight into chemical energy, supporting the ocean food web. If that weren't enough, phytoplankton produce oxygen and reduce levels of carbon dioxide – a greenhouse gas – in our atmosphere.
Iron dust not only nourishes phytoplankton, it also helps land plants grow. Likewise, phosphorous is a critical nutrient required by phytoplankton. So, when it comes to iron and phosphorous in this region, a little "blows a long way"... benefitting growth on land and at sea.
The data visualization below shows monthly sea surface chlorophyll from July 2002 through February 2016. Chlorophyll concentrations indicate the abundance of phytoplankton. Darker shades of green indicate more chlorophyll, more phytoplankton, while darker shades of blue indicate less chlorophyll and fewer phytoplankton. [MODIS instrument on Aqua satellite]
Falling Forests & Fires
For thousands of years, native people have used Amazon forests for food and other resources. With the rise of large-scale, industrial farming in the past 50 years, the landscape has changed dramatically. Before then, there was no such thing as an Amazon fire season. Now, fire may pose the biggest threat to the survival of the Amazon ecosystem.
Scientists use satellite data to better understand how smoke changes clouds in the Amazon. The next series of maps were acquired during the second half of 2015. Brown colors show the degree to which aerosols prevent the transmission of light (i.e., light is absorbed or scattered). Thicker aerosols over the Amazon are likely caused by fires.
The data visualization below shows global aerosol optical depth for each month from March 2000 to June 2016. Dark brown pixels show high aerosol concentrations, while tan pixels show lower concentrations, and light yellow areas show little or no aerosols. Black shows where the sensor could not make its measurement. [MODIS instrument on Terra satellite]
The video below shows how deforestation has changed the Rondônia region over time. The areas showing the greatest deforestation rates are those that have more roads. The first clearings that appear in the forest are in a fishbone pattern. Over time, the fishbones collapse into a mixture of forest remnants, cleared areas, and settlements.
In the data model visualization below, red represents dust. The Sahara of northern Africa is the largest source of dust. Green represents organic carbon, black carbon, and sulfate aerosols. Organic and black carbon come from burning biomass or fossil fuels. Sources include fires, power plants, vehicles, and other combustion engines that run on fossil fuel. Sulfate particles come mostly from burning fossil fuels, but also from volcanoes.
Scheduled to launch in 2024, PACE will extend and improve NASA's over 20-year record of observing ocean life, aerosols, and clouds.
PACE observations will allow us to improve our understanding of the intercontinental transport of dust aerosols and their impacts on ecological systems. It will also continue monitoring smoke generation and transport from Amazonian wildfires.
More wavelengths. Unprecedented resolution.
Links and Other Information
- Source of the Amazon River [NASA Earth Observatory]
- Meandering in the Amazon [NASA Earth Observatory]
- Sahara Desert from Space [NASA]
- Saharan Dust on the Move [NASA Earth Observatory]
- Just Another Day on Aerosol Earth [NASA Earth Observatory]
- Satellite Tracks Saharan Dust To Amazon In 3-D [NASA Scientific Visualization Studio]
- Having Their Phosphorous and Eating It Too [Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution]
- Phytoplankton Bloom off West Africa [NASA Earth Observatory]
- Ocean Color Time Series [NASA Scientific Visualization Studio]
- Stresses on Global Phytoplankton Revealed by MODIS [NASA Scientific Visualization Studio]
- Amazon Forest Fires [NASA Visible Earth]
- World on Fire [NASA Scientific Visualization Studio]
- Aerosol Optical Thickness, MODIS, 2000-2016 [NASA Scientific Visualization Studio]
- World of Change: Amazon Deforestation [NASA Earth Observatory]
- Aerosol Optical Thickness Updating Forecast [NASA Scientific Visualization Studio]
- Other images used under 123rf License Agreement [ID 21930405, 28274113, 117714320, 7606554, 17708618, 104877900, 30741433]