There will be a new NASA mission to study plankton and aerosols

PACE Polarimetry: Quantifying the Atmosphere of Phytoplankton, a Startup that tries to annoy the Earth

The startup faced backlash because it wanted to try to manipulate the Earth’s atmosphere. Tinkering with oceans and the atmosphere in this way falls in the realm of so-called geoengineering, which still faces stiff opposition from researchers and environmental advocates worried about unintended consequences.

There are also a couple sci-fi-sounding scenarios that this kind of research could feasibly support one day. There’s been some early study into ways to potentially boost phytoplankton’s absorption of carbon dioxide by providing them with more nutrients. There have also been headlines lately about one startup’s rogue attempts at launching aerosols into the atmosphere to try to stop global warming.

Funny thing is, decades of work cleaning up aerosol pollution has been a double-edged sword. Solar radiation can be seen back out into space from the aerosol particles and the clouds around them. Global warming may be caused by fewer aerosols in the atmosphere. Two toaster-sized instruments on PACE are called polarimeters, which can detect what kinds of aerosols are present based on how they reflect light. Knowing what kinds of aerosols are out there can help scientists fine-tune climate models so they can make more accurate forecasts for the future.

Two other instruments on board the spacecraft will study particles in the atmosphere, specifically aerosols that can affect air quality. “Aerosols are really important to human health, so that’s why we need to really quantify what is out there — like what type of aerosols there are and where they come from,” Meng Gao, PACE polarimetry data science and software lead, says in another NASA video posted in December.

The hyperspectral ocean color instrument that the PACE satellite is carrying will make observations across ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared light spectrums. Scientists can differentiate between species of phytoplankton by their color for the first time from space. They can use that data to figure out what kinds of organisms are out there and spot changes in the sea that could impact ecosystems and coastal communities that rely on them.

The surface of the sea can vary in colors due to different types of organisms, but it is not always obvious to the human eye.

Phytoplankton in particular play a vital role in the world’s oceans. NASA has an interesting video onYouTube about why they are so important and it features faux action figures of the warriors fighting for sea. What the video calls “phyto fighters” are actually microscopic plants that take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen through photosynthesis. It’s that capacity to absorb planet-heating carbon dioxide that makes them a key ally in the fight against climate change.

“PACE will help us learn, like never before, how particles in our atmosphere and our oceans can identify key factors impacting global warming,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, said in a press release.

It’ll examine microscopic plants and particles — things so small they’re invisible to the naked eye — from hundreds of miles above Earth. The goal is to understand how tiny things can affect the entire planet.

You could see plankton from space. Of course, NASA. The space agency successfully launched a new mission today called PACE — short for the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem satellite — that will study its namesake.

Aerosols are little bits of dust, wildfire smoke, and fossil fuel pollution floating around the atmosphere, which both absorb and reflect the sun’s energy and help build clouds—wildly complex dynamics that climate models still struggle to account for. The food web is caused by the plant-like marine organisms that are called phytoplankton. Carbon is sequestered, keeping Earth’s climate from warming further. “Phytoplankton are basically moving carbon around, and we need to understand how that changes with time,” says Jeremy Werdell of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Think about the forest you are staring into. The leaves on various trees are different in appearance, which is why they are different plants. “Really what we’re searching for are these very, very subtle changes in color.”

The Effects of Ocean Temperatures on Phytoplanckian Growth and Species Diversity at the Ocean-Surface: A Post-Newtonian View

Understanding these communities is crucial for how fast the oceans are changing. They’ve absorbed something like 90 percent of the excess heat humanity has added to the atmosphere, and over the past year or so in particular, sea surface temperatures have soared to record highs and stayed there. The high temperatures can adversely affect the growth of a few species but they might benefit others that thrive as mercury goes up.

More subtly, warm water acts like a kind of cap at the ocean surface, with cooler waters swirling below. It is similar to drinking at your favorite Irish pub. Guinness floating on top of Harp,” says Werdell. In the upper ocean, a barrier of warm water and cold water prevent nutrients from getting into the water.

Phytoplankton need those nutrients to grow, so if the cap of warm water persists in a given area, that’ll further shake up the community of photosynthesizing species. If there’s less of the species that zooplankton need for food, their numbers may decline too. And then the larger predators like fish that eat the zooplankton will be impacted, on up the food chain. That could eventually affect the food species that humans rely on for protein.