Engineers in Edinburgh used to building instruments to look
at the atmospheres of stars and distant planets have turned their attention to
the atmosphere of Earth. A prototype
instrument designed and built at the UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC) is
on its way to NASA in the USA to help improve our understanding of the Earth’s
natural carbon cycle.
Supported by the Natural Environment Research Council
(NERC), researchers from the Universities of Leicester and Edinburgh will use
the instrument to measure the emission and uptake of greenhouse gases. Understanding these gases is a prerequisite
for managing future levels of carbon dioxide to support effective international
agreements and national emission reduction programmes.