OCO-2 Stories
NASA Space Mission Takes Stock of Carbon Dioxide Emissions by Countries
A pilot project has estimated emissions and removals of carbon dioxide in individual nations using satellite measurements.
NASA Space Missions Pinpoint Sources of CO2 Emissions on Earth
A case study involving Europe’s largest coal-fired power plant shows space-based observations can be used to track carbon dioxide emissions – and reductions – at the source. A duo of Earth-observing missions has enabled researchers to detect and track carbon…
NASA Science Enables First-of-its-Kind Detection of Reduced Human CO2 Emissions
For the first time, researchers have spotted short-term, regional fluctuations in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) across the globe due to emissions from human activities. Using a combination of NASA satellites and atmospheric modeling, the scientists performed a first-of-its-kind detection of…
Study: Decaying Urban Greenery Plays a Surprising Role in Carbon Emissions
A new study tracing the sources of carbon dioxide, the most significant human-generated greenhouse gas, reveals the unexpectedly large influence of vegetation in urban environments. Burning fossil fuels in densely populated regions greatly increases the level of the greenhouse gas,…
NASA Satellite Offers Urban Carbon Dioxide Insights
A new NASA/university study of carbon dioxide emissions for 20 major cities around the world provides the first direct, satellite-based evidence that as a city’s population density increases, the carbon dioxide it emits per person declines, with some notable exceptions.…
Excitement grows as carbon sleuth begins year two
Scientists poring over data from NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission are seeing patterns emerge as they seek answers to questions about atmospheric carbon dioxide.
The view from space
Increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are warming up our planet and causing climate change. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, launched in July 2014, is tracking this carbon dioxide from space, enabling us to better predict the rate…
NASA carbon counter reaches final orbit, returns data
NASA’s first spacecraft dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide has reached its final orbit and returned its first science data.
Making science useful
Increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are warming up our planet and causing climate change. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, launched in July 2014, is tracking this carbon dioxide from space, enabling us to better predict the rate…
OCO-2 data to lead scientists forward into the past
Scientists will use a virtual time machine to trace carbon dioxide observations from NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 back to their sources.