A team of international researchers used a NASA satellite to develop a pilot project where carbon emissions from each individual nation are mapped. In addition, it was also observed how much of this carbon is removed from the atmosphere by forests and other sinkholes within these countries.

The study was conducted by more than 60 researchers and used data collected by NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2), as well as observations made from the surface. Scientists quantified data collected between 2015 and 2020 from more than 100 countries to infer how much carbon is emitted and collected by each nation.

The OCO-2 was not designed to estimate country-specific emissions, however the research comes just before the first Global Stocktake, which is the process for assessing each country's carbon emission reductions to mitigate global warming. The process was defined during the Paris Agreement in 2015.

Carbon monitoring made from the surface 

Carbon measurements taken from Earth often require the estimation of carbon dioxide emissions from all economic sectors of a country. Although this data collected on land is very useful, to comllin them, it takes resources and experiences that many nations do not have.

The researchers point out that one of the main flaws in the measurement of carbon made from the surface is in carbon emissions caused by deforestation. This is because the data for this activity is uncertain and vulnerable because they are not fully known.Thus, doing this analysis of earth's orbit is useful for countries that do not have this structure. The study provides carbon emissions data from about 50 countries that have not reported their carbon emissions in at least 10 years.

The research revealed that deforestation emissions are disproportionate to total carbon emissions in the southern hemisphere. In addition, some regions of the globe also showed carbon reductions in the atmosphere due to better land management and reforestation. 

Tracking emissions

The study also tracked carbon moving through the earth, oceans and atmosphere. The researchers point out that although the study is important for managing the impacts of carbon dioxide emissions on the planet individually, but that the atmosphere doesn't care much about it.

Now researchers hope that satellite monitoring can be improved to understand how individual carbon emissions have changed, whether for worse or better.

Source: OLHAR DIGITAL