NASA confirms shrinking mesosphere

According to a NASA study published in the journal Atmospheric and solar-terrain physics, The mesosphere is said to be collapsing under the influence of greenhouse gases. The long-awaited scene, but one that can never be confirmed. So this is the first study that manages to prove exactly this expected shrinkage.

If this result is a long delay, it is very difficult to study the third layer of the atmosphere directly. Its field is approximately 50 to 100 km high and extends according to the measurement method. This is too much for regular flights, but too little for a satellite stop. To learn more, NASA scientists used data placed in high orbit by three satellites over a period of twenty years: Hello, SOFIE , And Learn. The data collected were able to vaguely confirm this summary of the mesosphere.

The (expected) effect of greenhouse gases

This phenomenon has already been observed in the stratosphere. The cause is found on the side of the greenhouse gases. By accumulating in the lower layers of the atmosphere, they are isolated from the upper layers. So they cool to 1 to 2 degrees Celsius every ten years. At the same time, because the volume of a gas is directly related to its temperature, this entire layer of the atmosphere shrinks from 150 to 200 m over the same period.

Often, this subtle dynamic shift draws others into a vast vicious circle. In fact, this reduction of the mesosphere is not without consequences. It promotes appearance Polar mesospheric clouds, also known as noctilucent clouds.

These modules are wonderful to look at. On the other hand, they are mainly an insulating layer that extends almost 100 km from the ground. A kind of duvet that helps to increase the intensity of the greenhouse effect, hence the warming of the atmosphere. A new opportunity to see how our planet is a dynamic system, where all the elements are interdependent … better or worse.