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MPI-BGC Colloquium

The atmosphere plays an important role in carbon cycle research, because its mixing properties allow to obtain important information about large-scale exchange fluxes of carbon. With new measurement techniques, atmospheric scientists are trying to improve the spatial and temporal resolution of this approach. A recent development is the use of Earth orbiting satellites targeting the carbon cycle by measuring the atmospheric abundance of gases such as CO2, CH4, and CO. This seminar will provide an overview of the state of the art, achieved using the Japanese greenhouse gas observing satellite (GOSAT), and the prospects of new missions that are currently under development. Examples will be shown of the methodologies that are being developed in parallel, to make optimal use of the information provided by these, and other complementary, measurements, while avoiding complications that arise because of the remaining limitations. This will lead into a discussion about the role of these new techniques in a future global carbon observing system, and what such a system may look like.


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