While some scientists are tackling glacial changes from the ground, NASA is taking to space with four new Earth science missions to monitor climate change from above. All four of these missions are scheduled to launch in 2022, and since Pamela isn’t here, let’s take a look at each one. Keep in mind, there are some amazing acronyms here, so thank you for that, NASA.

TROPICS stands for Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats. Yup. They left out words from the acronym. Wow. Anyway, this mission is going to improve our observations of tropical cyclones, which are intensifying overall due to climate change. These six satellites will be deployed in pairs over three launches and should be up and running by the end of July.

Next is EMIT, or Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation. This mission is going to be to observe how dust is moved by winds from arid regions around the world. That dust can influence how much energy Earth reflects back out into space, which impacts the temperature at the surface. Darker, iron-rich minerals absorb energy and that causes the atmosphere to heat up. Lighter, clay-rich minerals scatter light and can lead to cooling. EMIT will map all of that dust and determine its composition to help understand what changes in temperature we might expect.

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) is going to precisely measure the temperature and moisture content of the atmosphere as well as ocean surface temperatures in order to help forecast extreme storms. The satellites will also observe floods, wildfires, volcanoes, dust storms, and sea ice. It’s basically going to be the backbone of weather prediction in the coming years.

Finally, SWOT or the Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission is going to measure Earth’s water in the oceans, lakes, and rivers. This data should help scientists understand how climate change affects freshwater and how the ocean’s ability to absorb excess heat and greenhouse gases changes over time. The mission is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in November 2022.

So while the climate change situation seems bleak, remember scientists are doing their best to understand it and maybe find solutions.

More Information

NASA press release