Thiloththama Jayasinghe, Jadetimes Staff
T. Jayasinghe is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Political News
Satellite data has given critical, undeniable evidence that climate change is not a gradual process but an escalating crisis with grave global consequences. The observations from satellites have proved the urgency of the climate crisis in the following ways:
1. Rising Global Temperatures
Satellites have been continuously measuring the rise in global temperatures since the 1970s. According to the records, the temperature of Earth keeps growing steadily; the last decades have seen a rate of temperature increase that had never been experienced before. To a great extent, this is associated with increasing greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, which satellites monitor with very high accuracy, as seen with NASA's Aqua and Terra satellites.
2. Melting Polar Ice Caps and Glaciers
Satellites have documented fully both imagery and data that reveal the rapid decline in the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica. In particular, GRACE satellites depicted that these sheets lose mass at an accelerating rate. Also, Arctic sea-ice coverage is shrinking quicker than scientists previously predicted; among satellite programs keeping track of it, ESA's CryoSat aids in rising sea levels.
3. Sea Level Rise
Satellite altimeters, including those flown on the Jason series of satellites, have measured sea level rise caused by the melting ice and thermal expansion of seawater as it warms. This sea-level rise has been accelerating recently due to its acceleration, has started posing a threat to coastal communities all over the world through increased storm surges leading to flooding.
4. Increase in Frequency of Extreme Events
Satellites increasingly use their gaze to monitor extreme weather patterns such as hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and droughts. Data from instruments such as NOAA's GOES-R series of satellites confirm that these events are becoming more frequent and intense with climate change, often impacting millions of people.
5. Deforestation and Land-Use Changes
Equipped with satellites like those from NASA's Landsat series, they have been able to track heavy deforestation, especially in the Amazon rainforest, which is a broad carbon sink area. This suggests that deforestation and land degradation result in the release of stored carbon into the atmosphere and, therefore, accelerate the climate crisis.
6. Atmospheric Changes
The atmospheric sensors on those satellites have been able to detect trends of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane. For instance, NASA's OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2) provides precise global CO2 concentration measurements. Directly linked to human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, it helps in calculating the rise of greenhouse gases.
7. Ocean Warming and Acidification
Satellites like ESA's Sentinel-3 monitor sea-surface temperatures, and have recorded a rise in the oceans that absorb more than 90 percent of excess heat resulting from the trapping caused by greenhouse gases. This temperature increase devastates marine ecosystems and causes coral bleaching. What is more, data show that acidification of the ocean due to increased intake of CO2 is harmful to marine life, especially to shellfish and coral reefs.
8. Wildlife Migration Patterns
Satellite tracking has recorded changes in the migratory patterns of birds, marine animals, and other species, which are changing with a rising temperature and an altered ecosystem. Such things are typical of many disturbances in biodiversity due to the crisis.
In all, satellite data has been indispensable in proving that climate change is indeed a climate crisis. This constitutes full and clear evidence in real time of the dramatic changes happening within Earth's system, a premise upon which urgent action is required globally.
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