Community | August 02, 2012 | 6 comments

NASA Satellites Show Unprecedented View Of Airborne Dust

source: http://idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/08/nasa-dust-foreign-overseas.php?ref=fpnewsfeed

FreeSpiritMuse

http://idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/08/nasa-dust-foreign-overse...

A new study of satellite data by NASA and university scientists reveals for the first time the amount of airborne particles that float into North American atmosphere every year from other continents, as well as the composition of these particles and what it may mean for climate change.

An estimated 64 million tons of particulate matter, about half of the total amount currently floating high above North America, comes from overseas, according to the results of a new study of 3D views of the atmosphere obtained from NASA’s Terra satellite and the joint American—French CALIPSO satellite. The remaining 69 million tons of particulate matter comes from domestic sources, according to the analysis.

“The take-home message is that this is a small world and we share one atmosphere,” said Hongbin Yu, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Maryland who led the study, in a statement published on NASA’s website. “Every country is influencing other countries’ back yards.”

A satellite image of the type of particulate matter that makes its way over to the U.S., Canada and Mexico from countries like Mongolia appears at the top of this article. Other views and the results of the study are also featured in the following video from NASA’s Earth Science Division
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6 comments // NASA Satellites Show Unprecedented View Of Airborne Dust // Video

  • letsliveinpeace
    • 0
      letsliveinpeace  

    • Analysis, the first was that half of the particles above North America come from someplace else, and that's a big number half. The analysis wasn't expecting anything like that, the second piece was that even though these particles are coming from someplace else.... they come in high in the atmosphere, not on the ground so we are not breathing them, and the third piece of this study is really surprising that most of it is dust and natural aerosol, not man-made aerosol, again this have implications for trying to control how much pollution goes from one continent to the next, one country to the next, even if you turn off all industry everywhere else, we will still have all these foreign particles in the air shed above us, because this is natural. As it turns out we should still keep focus on our own pollution in order to keep our air healthy, because particles that come from other places can hide. So this very much explained why I have problems with my sinuses. Also this means...what's in China is coming here, so we all must keep focus on our pollution level to be healthy, or should I say remain healthy. Very interesting, and informational, thanks for posting.

    • 10 months ago
  • DEM46
  • coolplanet
    • 0
      coolplanet  

    • Aerosols cool the planet.
      This is climate science 101.
      We need more volcanoes for their cooling sulfuric aerosols.
      CO2 and methane produce few aerosols and heat Earth.
      This is why scientists are experimenting with chemtrails.
      Not that I approve. I would much prefer Yellowstone to blow its top.

    • 10 months ago
  • artemis6
  • attilatheblond
  • FreeSpiritMuse

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