The Role of Satellite in Monitoring the Atmosphere

Satellites act as the planet's insightful eyes, surveying its atmosphere for important and noteworthy progressions. These high-tech devices brought forth by human ingenuity offer a comprehensive view of recurring phenomena like climate change, air pollution, and weather patterns, assisting us in gaining valuable inputs about the well-being of the environment. They help us understand and protect the air we breathe and the protective shield that guards us from the sun's overwhelming wrath.
Certain satellites are given specific tasks to complete depending on different types of functions. Some designed to track greenhouse gases responsible for global warming.Two great examples of this are MethaneSAT and NASA's OCO-2 satellite. The MethaneSAT tracks global methane emissions, helping us intercept climate change while NASA’s OCO-2 focuses on studying carbon dioxide—where it comes from and where it goes—giving scientists a clearer understanding of how carbon is influencing our climate.
This collection of information and data allows the governments of nations and businesses that own industries to monitor their emission levels and assess whether they’re meeting targets for pollution reduction. Satellites also play a key role in monitoring the air quality we breathe. TEMPO is another really satellite of ingenuity that helps us keep record on the air in our cities. It can detect things like nitrogen dioxide and ozone, which are pollutants that can make the air unhealthy to breathe. If the air quality gets bad, TEMPO lets people know so they can take necessary and effective precautions.
Similar to TEMPO, there are other satellites watching out for things like wildfires and dust storms. They give us early warnings so we can protect ourselves from the smoke and dust.
Satellites aren't just about air quality, though. They're also super helpful for predicting the weather. They track storms, measure how hot or cold it is, and even check how much moisture is in the air. This helps us get ready for big weather events like hurricanes and heatwaves. And when there's a disaster like a wildfire, satellites give firefighters important information about where the fire is spreading so they can respond quickly.

By: Akshaj Medicharla