Dr. Christian
Frankenberg, a scientist with NASA, is working on a project to measure the
chlorophyll fluorescence on Earth and CO2 levels. Chlorophyll fluorescence is a
different kind of wavelength emitted during photosynthesis, which can be used
to measure the photosynthetic rate worldwide.
NASA is using a satellite to test for fluorescence and CO2. The OCO-2 is now in
orbit after successfully launching on July 2 from Vandenberg Air Force Station,
California.
The Earthscope team asked Dr. Frankenberg, “Why is it important to measure
photosynthetic activity?”, and he explains that photosynthesis is important because
it is mainly plants that provide life with oxygen. He then explains that
photosynthesis takes CO2 from the atmosphere, releasing O2 to make sugar for
the plants.
He then explains that measuring chlorophyll fluorescence helps us understand
this process and many others.
Dr. Frankenberg highlighted the environmental benefits of the satellite
research. For example, he says that through this work, he hopes to be able to
measure the water stress that plants may be experiencing. Dr. Frankenberg
explains that “if you look at your garden, and you often forget to water it,
after a while it will start wilting, but there’s a period before that there are
noticeable visible changes where the plants experience mild-water stress.”
It seems that these experiments done by NASA can benefit how scientists see and
study our environment and plant life.
Scientists want to know how the carbon cycle reacts to heart, droughts, changes
in rain, etc. It’s the beginning for further study and a better way to study
our world. Dr. Frankenberg believes that climate changes are occurring and that
the rise of temperatures and the rise of seal levels will have an impact on
cities, especially those in coastal areas.
It is important that scientists like Dr. Frankenberg are trying to study and
keep our environment safe. Our world seems to by losing oxygen and CO2 levels
are rising.
There have been ways people are switching to greener ways, but right now
scientists want to measure and study gas exchange, which will hopefully lead to
a new way of reducing CO2 and getting more oxygen. Technology has advanced and
it amazes us that we can look from space and see at a molecular level what is
happening on the earth and in the process of photosynthesis.
Dr. Frankenberg stated that people who do not believe in global warming need to
“let the data speak.” In other words, no matter what people say about our
environment, scientific data shows what is happening to our earth and human
denial does not change that reality.
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