By absorbing half of the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere, the oceans have a profound influence on climate. However, their ability to take up this carbon dioxide might be impaired as a result of climate change.
To determine their response to global warming, ESA has backed two projects that provide systematic data on key oceanic variables – colour and temperature.
The Medspiration project, aimed at charting sea-surface temperatures, and the GlobCOLOUR project, aimed at developing a data set of global ocean colour, both combine data measured independently by several different satellite systems into a set of products that represent the best possible measurements and allow researchers from various fields to pool their efforts in an attempt to understand how the climate is reacting to changes.
Full story at www.esa.int/esaEO/SEM5GGZTIVE_planet_0.html
