Videos

This animation is a global visualization of the first two years of carbon dioxide measurements (Sept. 2014 - Oct 2016) from NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission. Each map represents a 16-day cycle and shows average concentrations of carbon dioxide between the top of the atmosphere and Earth’s surface. The smoothed effect maps were achieved through Kriging. With over two years of data, seasonal variations are clear and an increase in carbon dioxide in the northern hemisphere is clearly visible during winter, when trees are not removing carbon dioxide. In spring, the carbon dioxide decreases as trees start to grow.

This animation is a global visualization of the first two years of carbon dioxide measurements (Sept. 2014 - Aug 2016) from NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission. Each map represents a 16-day cycle and shows average concentrations of carbon dioxide between the top of the atmosphere and Earth’s surface. The dotted maps reflect the actual OCO-2 acquisitions and show the extent of the instrument coverage.  With two years of data, seasonal variations are clear and an increase in carbon dioxide in the northern hemisphere is clearly visible during winter, when trees are not removing carbon dioxide. In spring, the carbon dioxide decreases as trees start to grow.

Animation showing the 12-month cycle of all plant life on Earth — whether on land or in the ocean. Rather than showing a specific year, the animation shows an average yearly cycle by combining data from many satellite instruments and averaging them over multiple years.

This video is public domain and may be downloaded at:
http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/deta...

NASA scientists are researching the movement of carbon through the atmosphere, ocean, and plant life to better understand how, and for how long, the Earth can continue to absorb half of all carbon emissions.

Vegetation Measurement Using Solar Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence

This animation is a global visualization of the light released by plants during photosynthesis. It's based on the first year of solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) measurements (Sept. 2014 – Sept. 2015) from NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission.

Each map represents a 16-day cycle and shows average concentrations of SIF. The measurements are reported in radiance (a measure of the amount of light); more light is shown as more green. The seasonal shifts of photosynthesis and the large agricultural areas of the world are apparent.

How can OCO-2 help us keep track of plant activity? By detecting solar-induced fluorescence!
Solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) occurs when a fraction of the light absorbed by chlorophyll molecules is re-emitted at longer wavelengths. Measuring this signal with the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 satellite allows for real-time monitoring of photosynthetic activity and fills in crucial details in Earth's carbon cycle.
Produced by Karen Yuen
Written, animated, and narrated by Meg Rosenburg
Music by Olive Musique
More information:
http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov
http://spie.org/x92267.xml

Global warming may seem like a recent challenge, but the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission joins a long tradition of investigation into our planet's changing climate.

An ultra-high-resolution NASA computer model has given scientists a stunning new look at how carbon dioxide in the atmosphere travels around the globe.
Plumes of carbon dioxide in the simulation swirl and shift as winds disperse the greenhouse gas away from its sources. The simulation also illustrates differences in carbon dioxide levels in the northern and southern hemispheres and distinct swings in global carbon dioxide concentrations as the growth cycle of plants and trees changes with the seasons.
The carbon dioxide visualization was produced by a computer model called GEOS-5, created by scientists at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Global Modeling and Assimilation Office.

NASA EDGE is an unscripted, non-traditional video podcast (vodcast) designed to highlight all things NASA in a unique and fun way. The NASA Edge team was at VAFB to speak to different team members involved with the launch, including Associate Administrator Charlie Bolden.

After a succesful launch, an OCO-2 post-launch news conference was held at Vandenberg Air Force Base, where Observatory and mission officials will provide the spacecraft status and discuss its state of health.
OCO-2 Post-Launch News Conference
July 1 5:30 a.m. PDT (8:30 a.m. EDT, 1230 UTC)

NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, launching July 2014, will study carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and help us understand how fast it will build up in the future. The mission will provide a more complete, global picture of the human and natural sources of CO2 as well as their "sinks," the places where CO2 is pulled out of the atmosphere and stored (such as in plants and the ocean.) Learn more about the mission at oco.jpl.nasa.gov

This animation shows the jettison of the Delta II launch vehicle's payload fairing that encapsulates NASA's OCO-2's spacecraft during its ride to orbit.

This animation shows the separation of NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 spacecraft from the Delta II launch vehicle's second stage.

There's a problem with our global carbon budget...but OCO-2 will soon be on the case!

Published on May 8, 2014. There's still a lot we know don't know about the processes that control the rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and what role they might play in our changing climate. Luckily, the OCO-2 mission (Orbiting Carbon Observatory) will launch next year to gather crucial information on carbon sinks and sources to help us connect the dots.

Published on May 16, 2014. NASA's OCO-2 mission will shed new light on understanding carbon and its role in our planet's future.

This animation shows the skinny swath that OCO-2 would gather over the Earth each day. The instrument will gather between 67,000-71,000 individual measurements over a narrow ground track each orbit.

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 is NASA's first spacecraft dedicated to studying carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is the main human-produced driver of climate change.

This animation shows OCO-2 flying over the Earth and zooms in on the baffle that will toggle among the different modes: Nadir, Glint, and Target.

This animation shows the global coverage provided by OCO-2 every 16 days to produce the most complete global coverage of CO2 to date.

This animation shows the deployment of the solar array panels on NASA's OCO-2 spacecraft, which power the spacecraft on orbit.

Uploaded on May 13, 2014. NASA's OCO-2 mission, scheduled to launch July 1 from Vandenberg AFB, California, will shed new light on understanding carbon and its role in our planet's future.