Consider the following statements regarding the TEMPO satellite: It mo...
NASA's new satellite TEMPO measure air pollution hourly has shown significant progress and now the space agency officials are already thinking about ways to extend its life.
- Tropospheric Emissions Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) monitors major air pollutants across North America.
- Its monitoring range extends from Canada’s oil sands to the Yucatán Peninsula and across the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
- It is part of a virtual constellation with South Korea's Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) and the European Space Agency’s upcoming satellite, aiming for comprehensive air pollution monitoring over the Northern Hemisphere.
- It will make important scientific observations, including that of ozone, nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide and formaldehyde levels.
- It is capable of measuring air quality over North America hourly during the daytime with a resolution of several square miles.
- It monitors the effects of everything from rush-hour traffic to pollution from forest fires and volcanoes.
- The present pollution-monitoring satellites are in low Earth orbit (LEO), but this new monitoring instrument is hosted in geostationary orbit.
- It was designed for a 20-month operation.
Hence both statements are correct.
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Consider the following statements regarding the TEMPO satellite: It mo...
Statement 1: It monitors major air pollutants across North America.
The statement is correct. The TEMPO satellite is designed to monitor major air pollutants across North America. TEMPO stands for Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution. It is a satellite instrument that measures air quality and pollution levels by monitoring the concentrations of various pollutants in the atmosphere. It provides high-resolution data on important pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), formaldehyde (HCHO), and aerosols.
TEMPO is equipped with a spectrometer that measures sunlight reflected by the Earth's atmosphere. By analyzing the light at different wavelengths, TEMPO can identify and quantify the concentrations of various pollutants. It provides near-real-time data on air quality, helping scientists and policymakers to better understand and manage air pollution.
Statement 2: It is located in the geostationary orbit.
The statement is incorrect. The TEMPO satellite is not located in the geostationary orbit. It is actually in a different type of orbit known as a polar orbit. Polar orbiting satellites circle the Earth from pole to pole, passing over different areas of the planet with each orbit. This allows them to provide global coverage and collect data on various environmental parameters.
The TEMPO satellite is specifically positioned in a sun-synchronous polar orbit, which means that it passes over the same location on Earth at the same local solar time during each orbit. This orbit allows for consistent lighting conditions, which is important for the accurate measurement of pollutants using sunlight reflection.
In conclusion, only statement 1 is correct. The TEMPO satellite monitors major air pollutants across North America, but it is not located in the geostationary orbit.