Topic: Greenhouse gases

Cathy Clerbaux examines what satellite observations reveal about atmospheric pollution. The seminar distinguishes pollutants from greenhouse gases and explores how atmospheric constituents affect both air quality and climate. It reviews what measurements can establish, the comparisons they permit and the uncertainties that remain.

This lecture examines how fossil-carbon emissions disturb exchanges among the atmosphere, vegetation, soils and oceans. Natural sinks currently limit atmospheric carbon accumulation, but wildfire, forest decline and other climate feedbacks could weaken that buffering. Satellite observations of vegetation and greenhouse gases help constrain exchanges, while uncertain feedbacks remain important limitations for projections.