NASA Satellites Show Earth's Upper Atmosphere is Showing Signs of Cooling and Contracting

The effects of rising greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, differ from the warmth we feel at the surface because the mesosphere is considerably thinner than the section of the atmosphere we live in. The troposphere, where humans dwell, has been described as a dense blanket by one researcher.

Russell is currently the main investigator on AIM, which stands for Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere, and is the newest of the three satellites that contributed data to the research. Russell has led all three NASA missions: AIM, the SABER instrument on TIMED (Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere Energetics, and Dynamics), and the HALOE instrument now-defunct UARS (Upper Atmospherics Research Satellite).

Researchers from TIMED and AIM have teamed up for a long-term study of the effects of climate change. First, the study focused on noctilucent clouds that wander farther from the poles during the summer. Next, researchers will look at these impacts over longer periods of time by tracking the clouds.

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