Sunday, December 17, 2023

NASA Sensor Produces First Global Maps of Surface Minerals in Arid Regions

Amazing stuff! Why this mapping activity was narrowly focused on minerals that possibly have an effect on climate is strange if not obsessed!

"NASA’s EMIT mission has created the first comprehensive maps of the world’s mineral dust-source regions, providing precise locations of 10 key minerals based on how they reflect and absorb light. When winds loft these substances into the air, they either cool or warm the atmosphere and Earth’s surface, depending on their composition. Understanding their abundance around the globe will help researchers predict future climate impacts. ..."

NASA Sensor Produces First Global Maps of Surface Minerals in Arid Regions - NASA


EMIT, a NASA mission launched to the International Space Station in 2022, mapped hematite, goethite, and kaolinite in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The three minerals are among 10 key substances the mission studied that are thought to influence climate change.


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