A space mission leaves later this month to Provide essential data to combat climate change.
A is about to be launched to map The amount of carbon stored in tropical forests and monitor the impacts of deforestation. The goal is to help wrap deforestation and improve climate models.
ESA is preparing to launch a new probe that will observe the most dense tropical forests in the world. Biomoss promises to provide essential carbon data stored by trees, contributing to the fight against .
“Forests are threatened. We need this data,” underlines Michael Fehringer, ESA Biomoss Project Manager.
“Everyone knows and listens, virtually every day, in the news, the threat of climate change for humanity. This mission will provide data to combat climate change and will provide information to politicians for decision making. Therefore, it is absolutely timely to do so now.”
Observe the carbon cycle from the space
The mission will help scientists better understand the role of forests in the global carbon cycle. When absorbing forests help balance the climate. But when they are destroyed, they free this carbon back into the atmosphere.
“We care about the forest. The forest is the lung of our planet. And what is interested in particularly gaining information about the flow of the carbon cycle. So what we want to measure is the amount of fossil fuel that is burned and produces CO₂, the amount that goes to forests and remains there and is captured over the years to see the changes.”
A radar capable of seeing through the forest
The biomoss probe will be equipped with a new radar that uses interferometry technology. This instrument can measure the volume and height of the trees, even under dense cups, which allows accurately estimating the amount of carbon stored.
“When a forest is overwhelmed with an optical instrument, only the leaves are seen. What interests us is the amount of wood – and therefore carbon – stored there, what is not easy to do. It is necessary to obtain the volume of the trees. With interferometry we can detect the height of the trees and, with this data, estimate the volume and weight of the wood.”
Monitor real -time deforestation
Biomoss will collect data over several years on Tropical Forests of South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. This data will allow us to monitor deforestation with unprecedented accuracy.
Each year, forests absorb about 8 billion tons of carbon dioxide. However, deforestation is revealing this process. According to ESA, this mission will be an essential tool to realize what is being destroyed – and how quickly.
“Firstly, they will improve climate modeling, which is necessary to solve the issue and the problem. So they will be there to monitor deforestation – which is cut – and we can also help monitor many of these programs. For example, the United Nations have reforestation programs and want to accurately what are the contributions.”
A contribution to science and environmental policies
Michael Fehringer believes that mission will be essential to understand the impact of climate change on forests and supporting more effective conservation policies.
“Only deforestation in Amazonia and tropical forests is progressing to a huge pace, and biomss is probably the most accurate tool to measure it daily.”
The data collected by the probe will be shared with scientists, political decision makers and international organizations. It is expected to assist effective strategies to combat climate change and protection of forest ecosystems.
