How NASA uses space-based lasers to map the world's carbon sinks
While satellites have tracked forest cover for half a century, measuring actual carbon content has remained a challenge. This video explores how NASA uses advanced lidar technology to peer into tree canopies and create the first global biomass map.
Forest ecosystems are vital to our planet, absorbing approximately 30 percent of atmospheric carbon (S3:p1). However, studying remote, vast regions through traditional field research is difficult (S3:p1). To overcome this, NASA utilizes the GEDI mission on the International Space Station to capture high-resolution 3D data on canopy structure, height, and surface elevation (S1:p1, S3:p3).
Because GEDI's orbit cannot reach the poles, NASA integrates data from the ICESat-2 mission to fill these gaps, particularly in boreal regions (S3:p3). By combining these two lidar systems, scientists can produce a comprehensive global biomass map, which is essential for tracking carbon loss and guiding smarter forest conservation and restoration efforts (S1:p1, S3:p3).
Source: From Space to Soil: How NASA Sees Forests
