Sentinel-6

  

Owen O'Brien

    Late last month, the sentinel 6 launched with a plan to monitor the oceans around the world from space. This is a large step in climate change tracking. this is because the oceans absorb about a quarter of the carbon on the planet (What). The main job of the sentinel-6 is to monitor the sea level activity going into the near future (Brown). NASA released this in one of their statements last November.

This latest mission marks the first international involvement in Copernicus, the European  Union's Earth Observation Programme. Along with measuring sea levels for almost the entire globe, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich's suite of scientific instruments will also make atmospheric measurements that can be used to complement climate models and help meteorologists make better weather forecasts. (US) 

    The use of this technology to track weather and atmospheric measurements is a very large step in pre-disaster warning technology. we will be able to track tropical storms better, leading to the ability to be able to limit that tropical storms and hurricanes can do to coastal communities. NASA even said this "Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich's twin, Sentinel-6B, is scheduled to launch in 2025" (Brown). Allowing for more opportunity to track what is happening in the ocean.

    This week I also read a blog that had to do with what one person can do to make a difference. It started as long as you are actively involved in saving water, recycling, and things like that you will make the biggest difference as a single person. If we can let the larger companies do things like sending satellites to monitor the oceans. the article even had a man named Jason Shmedon, a climate scientist saying this ""We don't need people to be extreme about what they're doing," he said. "Be conscious in every area that you can.""(Jacobo) even better stating the fact that you do not need to be extreme.

    All in all these steps that are being taken to track and come up with plans to limit the impending doom of rising sea levels and carbon control are going in the right direction. We can trust that for the next decade we will be able to track and monitor our own oceans very consistently.

Works Cited

Brown, Katherine. “NASA TV Airs Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich Launch, Prelaunch Activities.” NASA, NASA, 13 Nov. 2020, www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-tv-to-air-sentinel-6-michael-freilich-launch-prelaunch-activities. 

“US-European Mission Launches to Monitor the World's Oceans – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet.” NASA, NASA, 1 Dec. 2020, climate.nasa.gov/news/3045/us-european-mission-launches-to-monitor-the-worlds-oceans/. 

“What Is Happening in the Ocean?” NASA, NASA, 1 Dec. 2020, climatekids.nasa.gov/ocean/. 

“Why the Ocean?” One World One Ocean, oneworldoneocean.com/pages/why-the-ocean/.

Jacobo, Julia. “What You Can Do to Help Prevent Climate Change, According to Experts.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 

                28 Sept. 2019, 6:07am, abcnews.go.com/US/prevent-climate-change-experts/story?id=65721423.