ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CONSEQUENCES
Mineral dust, lifted by winds in arid and desert regions, presents two fundamental challenges. Firstly, its ability to absorb or reflect solar radiation directly influences planetary warming or cooling, a phenomenon known as radiative forcing, which impacts climate change. Secondly, the mineral composition of dust can change as it travels, affecting its influence on air quality and solar radiation. These issues are crucial for understanding and addressing the environmental effects of Earth's dust.
Mineral dust can significantly affect Earth's climate. Depending on its composition and color, it can absorb sunlight, contributing to global warming, or reflect it, resulting in a cooling effect. This phenomenon, known as radiative forcing, plays a key role in climate change.
The EMIT mission enhances understanding of radiative forcing caused by mineral dust. By measuring the mineral composition of dust-emitting regions, EMIT assists scientists in reducing uncertainty in its contribution to climate change.
Mineral dust can undergo changes in composition as it travels across Earth. Understanding how this composition evolves is crucial, as it affects its ability to influence climate by absorbing or reflecting solar radiation.
EMIT uses imaging spectroscopy to track spectral signatures of minerals in dust-emitting regions. This provides valuable data to understand how dust influences the climate as it moves through different geographical and temporal areas.