vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems | Terra
Leadership
      Dr. Kurtis Thome
      Dr. David J. Diner
      Dr. James R. Drummond
      Dr. Michael D. King
      Mr. Michael J. Abrams
      Dr. Norman G. Loeb
      Dr. Si-Chee Tsay
      Mr. Robert Wolfe
      Mr. Wynn J. Watson
      Dr. Nyssa Rayne

Terra Instruments:
 

ASTER

CERES

MISR

MODIS

MOPITT

Science
Applications
Atmosphere
Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems
Climate Variability and Change
Earth’s Surface & Interior
Water & Energy Cycle
Weather

Features

Home › Science › Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems

Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems

Carbon is a fundamental part of the Earth system. It is one of the primary building blocks of all organic matter on Earth and a key element in setting Earth’s temperature.  Carbon moves from the atmosphere to the land, ocean, and life through biological, chemical, geological and physical processes in a cycle called the carbon cycle. Because some carbon gases are greenhouse gases, changes in the carbon cycle that put more carbon in the atmosphere also warm Earth’s climate.
On the short time scale, the carbon cycle is most visible in life. Plants on land and in the ocean convert carbon dioxide to biomass (like leaves and stems) through photosynthesis. The carbon returns to the atmosphere when the plants decay, are eaten and digested by animals, or burn in fires. Because plants and animals are an integral part of the carbon cycle, the carbon cycle is closely connected to ecosystems. As ecosystems change under a changing climate, the carbon cycle will also change. For example, plants may bloom earlier in the year and grow for more months (assuming sufficient water is present) as the growing season gets longer, altering the food supply for animals in the ecosystem. If more plants grow, they will take more carbon out of the atmosphere and cool temperatures. If, on the other hand, warming slows plant growth, habitats will shift and more carbon will go into the atmosphere where it can cause additional warming.
Terra and the Carbon Cycle
Terra’s five instruments provide measurements of plant (vegetation) composition, structure, extent, and change.
Armstrong Flight Research Center - NASA
Highlights

 

5 min read

Clare Luckey: Shaping the Future of Mars Missions and Inspiring the Artemis Generation 

article

1 day ago

 

2 min read

Hubble Captures a Bright Spiral in the Queen’s Hair

article

2 days ago

 

5 min read

Galaxies Actively Forming in Early Universe Caught Feeding on Cold Gas

article

2 days ago

Highlights

 

3 min read

Welcome Back to Planet Earth, Expedition 70 Crew! 

article

4 days ago

 

6 min read

Astronaut Exercise

article

5 days ago

 

4 min read

Eleasa Kim: Pioneering CLDP Payload Operations and Cultural Integration

article

2 weeks ago

Highlights

 

4 min read

NASA, IBM Research to Release New AI Model for Weather, Climate

article

3 days ago

 

5 min read

NASA “Wildfire Digital Twin” Pioneers New AI Models and Streaming Data Techniques for Forecasting Fire and Smoke

article

4 days ago

 

5 min read

5 Things to Know About NASA’s Tiny Twin Polar Satellites

article

1 week ago

Highlights

 

4 min read

NASA’s Psyche Fires Up Its Sci-Fi-Worthy Thrusters

article

3 days ago

 

5 min read

NASA’s Juno Provides High-Definition Views of Europa’s Icy Shell

article

1 week ago

 

19 min read

The Next Full Moon is the Flower, Corn, or Corn Planting Moon

article

1 week ago

Featured

 

2 min read

Hubble Captures a Bright Spiral in the Queen’s Hair

article

2 days ago

 

5 min read

Galaxies Actively Forming in Early Universe Caught Feeding on Cold Gas

article

2 days ago

 

5 min read

NASA’s TESS Finds Intriguing World Sized Between Earth, Venus

article

2 days ago

Highlights

 

1 min read

Open Science News

article

1 day ago

 

1 min read

E.11 Consortium in Biological Sciences Clarification on how to Address Eligibility

article

1 day ago

 

1 min read

Updated Points of Contact for LDAP, MDAP, and DDAP

article
Real World: The Carbon Cycle - Essential for Life on Earth | Real World | NASA eClips
Real World: Comets - It's Done With Math 

 Real World: Computer Simulations - Turning Complex Ideas Into Solvable Equations 

 Real World: CubeSats - A Satellite Small Enough to Fit in Your Hand 

 Real World: CubeSats - Changing the Way We Do Science 

 Real World: Designing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles 

 Real World: Earth Systems 

 Real World: Earth's Energy Balance - Energy In and Energy Out 

 Real World: Earth's Energy Balance - Small Changes, Big Impact 

 Real World: Environmental Control on the International Space Station 

 Real World: Farewell to the Mars Phoenix Lander 

 Real World: Food Security - Monitoring Crops From Space 

 Real World: From Idea to Physical Prototype 

 Real World: Global Cloud Observation Day 

 Real World: Heart Rate and Blood Pressure 

 Real World: History of Winter - Abiotic Conditions 

 Real World: Home Improvement - Space Station Style 

 Real World: How the Hubble Telescope Is Powered in Space 

 Real World: Hubble Thermal Blanket 

 Real World: ICESat-2 and Earth's Cryosphere 

 Real World: JASON-2 

 Real World: Legacy of NASA's Space Shuttle - Because It Flew 

 Real World: Limits of the Solar System 

 Real World: Longitude and Time Zones 

 Real World: Lunar Power Plant 

 Real World: Mercury's MESSENGER Reveals Mysteries 

 Real World: Mission to Mercury 

 Real World: NASA and a Dinosaur Named Dakota 

 Real World: NASA and the Chesapeake Bay 

 Real World: NASA Harnesses Half-Life 

 Real World: NASA Inventions - Polyimide Foam 

 Real World: Ozone Alerts 

 Real World: Planetary Volcanoes 

 Real World: Robotic Arms 

 Real World: Satellites and Solar Eruptions 

 Real World: Scaling the Solar System 

 Real World: Self-Healing Materials 

 Real World: Small Bodies Orbiting the Sun 

 Real World: Small Systems Count - Cells in Space 

 Real World: Space Lighting 

 Real World: Space Weather 

 Real World: STS-119 Brings More Power to the Space Station 

 Real World: The Carbon Cycle - Essential for Life on Earth 

 Real World: The Nature of Science 

 Real World: The Silent Airliner
World of Change: Mountaintop Mining, West Virginia
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2009, September 11). EPA Releases Preliminary Results for Surface Coal Mining Permit Reviews. EPA.gov. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2010, January 5). EPA Makes Announcement on Two Proposed West Virginia Mountaintop Coal Mines. EPA.gov. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (1998). Permitted Stream Losses Due to Valley FIlling in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia: A Partial Inventory. Pennsylvania Ecological Services Field Office, State College, PA.

Links
More mine images on the Earth Observatory
Coal Controversy in Appalachia

World of Change: Mountaintop Mining, West Virginia

World Of Change
Snowpack in the Sierra Nevada
Global Temperatures
Water Level in Lake Powell
Antarctic Sea Ice
Arctic Sea Ice
Yellow River Delta
Coastline Change
Sprawling Shanghai
Antarctic Ozone Hole
Columbia Glacier, Alaska
Burn Recovery in Yellowstone
Shrinking Aral Sea
Padma River
Growing Deltas in Atchafalaya Bay
Recovery at Mt. St. Helens
Athabasca Oil Sands
Ice Loss in Glacier National Park
 Mountaintop Mining, West Virginia
Development of Orlando, Florida
Amazon Deforestation
Fire in Etosha National Park
Green Seasons of Maine
Drought Cycles in Australia
Severe Storms
Seasons of the Indus River
Urbanization of Dubai
Seasons of Lake Tahoe
Solar Activity
Larsen-B Ice Shelf
Mesopotamia Marshes
El Niño, La Niña, and Rainfall
Global Biosphere

Human Presence

Subscribe
to our newsletters

Feeds
Contact
About
Image Use Policy
Privacy Policy
Accessibility

 Webmaster Paul Przyborski

 NASA Official Robert Levy

 The Earth Observatory is part of the EOS Project Science Office at NASA Goddard Space
 Flight Center
About STEM Engagement at NASA - NASA
Highlights

 

5 min read

Clare Luckey: Shaping the Future of Mars Missions and Inspiring the Artemis Generation 

article

1 day ago

 

2 min read

Hubble Captures a Bright Spiral in the Queen’s Hair

article

1 day ago

 

5 min read

Galaxies Actively Forming in Early Universe Caught Feeding on Cold Gas

article

2 days ago

Highlights

 

3 min read

Welcome Back to Planet Earth, Expedition 70 Crew! 

article

4 days ago

 

6 min read

Astronaut Exercise

article

5 days ago

 

4 min read

Eleasa Kim: Pioneering CLDP Payload Operations and Cultural Integration

article

2 weeks ago

Highlights

 

4 min read

NASA, IBM Research to Release New AI Model for Weather, Climate

article

3 days ago

 

5 min read

NASA “Wildfire Digital Twin” Pioneers New AI Models and Streaming Data Techniques for Forecasting Fire and Smoke

article

4 days ago

 

5 min read

5 Things to Know About NASA’s Tiny Twin Polar Satellites

article

1 week ago

Highlights

 

4 min read

NASA’s Psyche Fires Up Its Sci-Fi-Worthy Thrusters

article

3 days ago

 

5 min read

NASA’s Juno Provides High-Definition Views of Europa’s Icy Shell

article

1 week ago

 

19 min read

The Next Full Moon is the Flower, Corn, or Corn Planting Moon

article

1 week ago

Featured

 

2 min read

Hubble Captures a Bright Spiral in the Queen’s Hair

article

1 day ago

 

5 min read

Galaxies Actively Forming in Early Universe Caught Feeding on Cold Gas

article

2 days ago

 

5 min read

NASA’s TESS Finds Intriguing World Sized Between Earth, Venus

article

2 days ago

Highlights

 

1 min read

Open Science News

article

1 day ago

 

1 min read

E.11 Consortium in Biological Sciences Clarification on how to Address Eligibility

article

1 day ago

 

1 min read

Updated Points of Contact for LDAP, MDAP, and DDAP

article
NASA - Sun-Earth Day - Living in the Atmosphere of the Sun


NASA - Sun-Earth Day - Living in the Atmosphere of the Sun

Skip Navigation (press 2)
+ NASA Portal
+ Sun-Earth Day Home

EDUCATORSPUBLIC OUTREACHSCIENTISTSAMATEUR ASTRONOMERS
Sun-Earth Day Presents: Living in the Atmosphere of the Sun.

News and EventsMultimediaTechnology Through TimePromotional Materials

PODCAST SPECIAL

Podcast Special: The Maiden of the Milky Way
The ancient art of storytelling has been used by almost every culture as a way to teach, explain or to instill knowledge. Our latest podcast features Jordan Hill presenting the story "The Maiden of the Milky Way". Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast to catch all of the shows.

Download the MP3 Now (13 MB)
Storytelling: The Maiden of the Milky Way Transcript (pdf) How to Subscribe

FEATURES

Issue #57: The Heliosphere
Despite the fact that it is the largest single physical system in the entire solar system, the heliosphere was only discovered at the dawn of the space age in the late 1950's...
	
Read more

Space Weather Action Centers
By following the basic steps in the Instructional Guide your class will soon be on its way to accessing, analyzing and recording NASA satellite and observatory data.
	
Goto this Guide

SOHO SunWorks Exhibit tour
A new art exhibit on the Sun called SunWorks is about to begin its show tour. The 24 pieces in SunWorks were selected from over 500 submissions.
	
Read more
View the PDF (6MB)

PODCAST

Sun-Earth Day Podcasts

(What's this?)
Quick click
Podcast page

REGISTER

Don't Forget to Register!

View the Registration Page

CONTENT ENHANCEMENT

Spaceweather.com
Get the latest space weather information conditions, and forecast!
	
Visit this web site

OTHER FEATURES

Rock Our World
Kids, come collaborate and compose music, make movies hold video conferences to learn about one another! 
	
View this cool web site

IMAGE GALLERY

View the Gallery

What is Sun-Earth Day?

Sun-Earth Day is comprised of programs and events that occur throughout the year culminating with a celebration on or near the Spring Equinox, March 20th 2007.
	
Learn more
2007 Flyer (pdf)

IN FOCUS

Sun-Earth Viewer
Make and Take
Sun-Earth Day Kit
Mark your Calendar

 

+ Freedom of Information Act
+ The President's Management Agenda
+ NASA Privacy Statement, Disclaimer, and Accessibility Certification
+ USA.gov
+ ExpectMore.gov

NASA Official: Alex Young
Project Manager: Elaine Lewis
Website Manager: Troy Cline
NASA Aircraft
Highlights

 

5 min read

Clare Luckey: Shaping the Future of Mars Missions and Inspiring the Artemis Generation 

article

1 day ago

 

2 min read

Hubble Captures a Bright Spiral in the Queen’s Hair

article

1 day ago

 

5 min read

Galaxies Actively Forming in Early Universe Caught Feeding on Cold Gas

article

2 days ago

Highlights

 

3 min read

Welcome Back to Planet Earth, Expedition 70 Crew! 

article

4 days ago

 

6 min read

Astronaut Exercise

article

5 days ago

 

4 min read

Eleasa Kim: Pioneering CLDP Payload Operations and Cultural Integration

article

2 weeks ago

Highlights

 

4 min read

NASA, IBM Research to Release New AI Model for Weather, Climate

article

3 days ago

 

5 min read

NASA “Wildfire Digital Twin” Pioneers New AI Models and Streaming Data Techniques for Forecasting Fire and Smoke

article

4 days ago

 

5 min read

5 Things to Know About NASA’s Tiny Twin Polar Satellites

article

1 week ago

Highlights

 

4 min read

NASA’s Psyche Fires Up Its Sci-Fi-Worthy Thrusters

article

3 days ago

 

5 min read

NASA’s Juno Provides High-Definition Views of Europa’s Icy Shell

article

1 week ago

 

19 min read

The Next Full Moon is the Flower, Corn, or Corn Planting Moon

article

1 week ago

Featured

 

2 min read

Hubble Captures a Bright Spiral in the Queen’s Hair

article

1 day ago

 

5 min read

Galaxies Actively Forming in Early Universe Caught Feeding on Cold Gas

article

2 days ago

 

5 min read

NASA’s TESS Finds Intriguing World Sized Between Earth, Venus

article

2 days ago

Highlights

 

1 min read

Open Science News

article

1 day ago

 

1 min read

E.11 Consortium in Biological Sciences Clarification on how to Address Eligibility

article

1 day ago

 

1 min read

Updated Points of Contact for LDAP, MDAP, and DDAP

article

1 day ago
Real World: The Carbon Cycle - Essential for Life on Earth | Real World | NASA eClips
RealWorld: Carbon Cycle -- Essential for Life on Earth, Real World, life, carbon, Earth Day, carbon cycle, processes, systems, ice, oceans, atmosphere, human impact, plants, animals, environment, fuels, climate change, global climate change, hydrophere, biophere, geosphere, ecosystem, producer, respiration, measurement, statistics, probability, instrument, model, observation, predict, computer model, photosynthesis, decay, data, coal, fossil fuels, source pools, carbon dioxide, fast carbon, slow carbon, carbohydrates, plankton, deforestation, satellite data, ICESat-2, GEDI Mission, GEDI, LIDAR, biometry, GLOBE, circumference, clinometer, height, middle school, secondary, science, technology, engineering, math, STEM, education, video, Paul Montesano, Lola Fatoyinbo Agueh, NASA, NASA eClips, eClips, NIA, aerospace, National Institute of Aerospace, systems thinking, STEL4, impacts of technology, STEL5 influence of society on technology, STEL8, technology products, technology systems, SEP1, asking questions, SEP2, model, SEP4, analyze data, SEP6, construct explanations, SEP8, evaluate and communicate information, NGSS MS-LS2-3, NGSS 5-LS201, Science SOL 4.4, LS.6, LS.7 

Recent tweets from NASA eClips

Get the Newsletter

Contact Us

Privacy Policy

Read More At SCIENCE.NASA.GOV

Search

Filter search by grade-level (optional)

Grades 3‑5
(Our World)
Natural vs Designed World

Grades 6‑8
(Real World)
Mathematics in Action

Grades 9‑12
(Launchpad)
NASA Innovations & Technologies

Student Produced

About NASA
Accessibility
FOIA
No FEAR Act
Privacy Policy
Vulnerability Disclosure Policy

NASA Official:
 Kristen Erickson
 

Editor:
Shannon Verstynen

Please share your impact.
X

Do you use Spanish content with your students?
Yes

No
Logros de la NASA en la estación espacial en 2023 - NASA
La estación espacial está ayudando a monitorear el cambio climático mediante la recopilación de datos con el empleo de diferentes instrumentos de observación de la Tierra montados en su exterior.

El brazo robótico Canadarm2 maniobra el instrumento de Investigación de las Fuentes de Polvo Mineral en la Superficie de la Tierra (EMIT) de la NASA después de sacarlo del compartimiento de carga del cohete Dragon de SpaceX.
NASA

Desde su lanzamiento en 2022, la Investigación de las Fuentes de Polvo Mineral en la Superficie de la Tierra (EMIT, por sus siglas en inglés) de la NASA ha detectado más que minerales en la superficie. El espectrómetro generador de imágenes ahora está identificando las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero provenientes de fuentes puntuales con una habilidad que sorprende incluso a sus diseñadores. La detección de metano no formaba parte de la misión principal de EMIT, pero ahora, con más de 750 fuentes de emisiones identificadas, este instrumento ha demostrado ser eficaz para detectar tanto fuentes grandes como pequeñas. Este es un factor importante para identificar los “superemisores”: fuentes que producen una parte desproporcionada de las emisiones totales. El seguimiento de las emisiones causadas por la actividad humana podría ofrecer un enfoque rápido y de bajo costo para reducir los gases de efecto invernadero.

Índice de estrés evaporativo sobre el valle de San Joaquín en California.
NASA
How We Find and Characterize - NASA Science
From mass characterizations to elements in atmospheres to planetary weather maps.Transit Spectroscopy: Reading the LightOur eyes in space will grow sharper, begin to scrutinize the atmospheres of extremely distant planets, and even capture direct images of some of these worlds – perhaps another small, rocky, blue and white marble.Once light is captured, it can be probed to reveal the composition of exoplanet atmospheres. Think of a prism: shine white light through it, and it splits the light into a rainbow spectrum. Scientists can read the color bands of this spectrum like a bar code, revealing which molecules are present.NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has several powerful scientific instruments, called spectrographs, on board. With these, scientists can look at newly forming planetary systems and identify the unique signatures of molecules in space.Space Telescope Science InstituteIt's a technique known as "transit spectroscopy," when light from a star travels through the atmosphere of an orbiting planet and reaches our telescopes – in space or on the ground – and tells about where it's been.The Hubble Space Telescope has detected helium and water vapor in exoplanet atmospheres using spectroscopy; more detailed profiles of exoplanet atmospheres are coming from the James Webb Space Telescope , launched in 2021Artist's concept of WASP-107b, a gas giant, orbiting a highly active K-type star about 200 light-years from Earth. Using spectroscopy, scientists detected helium escaping from the planet — the first time this element was found in an exoplanet atmosphere.ESA/Hubble, NASA, M. KornmesserGravitational MicrolensingAnother planet-hunting method takes advantage of an effect first described by Einstein: gravity's ability to warp and bend starlight. The gravity of a star in the foreground will magnify the light from a background star that passes just behind it. If the foreground star has a planet in orbit, the star will appear to a properly positioned telescope as a spike in light intensity as the background star goes by; the planet will appear as a second, smaller spike.
Education News & Blogs – NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
I know I developed my love for science from being hands-on and actually somewhat “in charge” of an experiment on my own. Winning a science fair competition in seventh grade for a greenhouse I built really boosted my confidence and helped reassure me of my scholastic abilities as a kid.
You led a really cool lesson with your classmates where you had them use Oreos to model tectonic boundaries. How do you feel that lesson went? 
Jacqueline: I was really proud of our group. After giving a lecture to the students about tectonic plate boundaries, we dispersed Oreos to everyone. We were set up around the classroom demonstrating the activity and giving verbal instructions for everyone to follow. My favorite part was when I saw two students by me go, “Oohhhh,” and smile once they got their Oreos to demonstrate the plate boundaries correctly. 
Amie: I thought it went really well! All the students in our classroom enjoyed it. Although we, as adults, may know about plate tectonics, having our hands on the Oreos to understand it made it more enjoyable.
Afiya: Plus, who doesn’t love Oreos? They’re even vegan!
 An Oreo cookie is used to demonstrate rock fault movement. Image courtesy: Brandon Rodriguez | + Expand image

Which of the NASA-JPL lessons that you’ve implemented did you enjoy, and why? 
Jacqueline: My favorite JPL activity we did was the Moon Phases activity. Having one team member to the side to give the instructions allows another student to view the different Moon phases. Then you switch so both students get to see that perspective. My second favorite activity was creating layers with different colored Play-Doh and demonstrating them as different plate boundaries and folds.
Amie: The NASA lesson that I enjoyed the most was the one we did on lunar eclipses. Much like myself, many students often have an early fascination with the Moon. Learning more about the Moon and lunar eclipses made me excited about the semester.
 Sofia Vallejo uses a foam ball and lamp to demonstrate how solar eclipses occur. Image courtesy: Brandon Rodriguez | + Expand image

What’s next for you after you finish at Cal Poly Pomona?
Juno - NASA Science
The close passes, on Dec. 30, 2023, and Feb. 3, 2024, allowed scientists to compare data and images from these visits with previous observations that Juno and other craft made of this volatile world, slightly larger than Earth's Moon. Io is caught in a tug-of-war between Jupiter's powerful gravity and the smaller pull from two neighboring moons, churning its insides and creating eruptions and lakes of lava that cover its surface. Meanwhile, the gravitational pull Io exerted on Juno during the Feb. 3 flyby has reduced the spacecraft’s orbit around Jupiter to 33 days. It originally had been circling Jupiter and its environs in 53-day orbits, after it arrived at the king of planets on July 4, 2016.More About the February 2024 FlybyJupiter's turbulent moon, Io, captured during a close approach by NASA's Juno spacecraft on Dec. 30, 2023. Juno's flyby was the closest of any spacecraft since the Galileo orbiter's visit two decades earlier, and brought Juno within about 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) of Io, the most volcanic world in our solar system. This image was compiled from JunoCam's red, blue, and green filters, from an altitude of 1,764 miles (about 2,840 km), during Juno's 57th orbit around Jupiter. NASA / SwRI / MSSSJupiter's Volatile Moon, IoThe turbulent world is dotted with hundreds of volcanoes, some erupting so powerfully they're visible with large telescopes on EarthThe moon – one of four that astronomer Galileo Galilei discovered to be orbiting Jupiter in 1610 – is caught in a gravitational tug-of-war between its sibling moons, Europa and Ganymede, and the massive Jupiter. This creates tremendous tidal forces, like ocean tides on Earth, but which cause Io's solid surface to bulge up and down (or in and out) by as much as 330 feet (100 meters).Read More About IoJust hours before NASA's Juno mission completed its 53rd close flyby of Jupiter on July 31, 2023, the spacecraft sped past the planet's volcanic moon Io and captured this dramatic view of both bodies in the same frame. The surface of Io is marked by hundreds of volcanoes that regularly erupt with molten lava and sulfurous gases.