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I think some folks aren't aware that NASA is such a big contributor to the Earth sciences. 我认为，有些人没有意识到NASA对地球科学做出了这么大的贡献。 If you look at what NASA is doing right now,somewhere probably between two dozen,three dozen satellites,for example,the AIRS instrument is a sounder to look at weather- related data,temperature,clouds,water vapor. 如果了解NASA现在所做的工作，大概使用24到36颗卫星，比如，AIRS仪器是一个探测器，可以探测相关天气数据，如温度、云层和水蒸气。 I used to work on pollution measurements like TESS that looked at ozone,carbon monoxide,and other gases. 我曾用TESS (卫星探测器)做过污染测量工作，比如测量臭氧、一氧化碳和其他气体的污染指数。
There's many different things looking at clouds,looking at rain,looking at all those gases,temperature,water vapor,just many,many different satellites to interrogate the Earth. 有很多不同设备来检测云、雨、所有气体、温度和水蒸气，也有众多不同卫星来监测地球。 3,2,engine start,1,0,and liftoff of the Delta-2 rocket with OCO-2,tracking greenhouse gas in seek of clues to climate change. 3! 2!发动机启动! 1! 0!德尔塔- -2火箭与0C0-2-起升空，追踪温室气体，寻找气候变化的线索。 So we' re measuring carbon dioxide by looking at this reflected sunlight in the atmosphere. 所以，我们通过观察大气中反射的太阳光来测量二氧化碳。
And just a few numbers for your number-loving crowd is when you fly around Earth on OCO-2,it takes you about 90 minutes to circle the Earth once.So we get about 15,16 cycles a day. 对于喜欢数字的人来说，这只是几个数字而已，当在OCO- -2.上环绕地球飞行时，绕地球一周大约需要90分钟。所以，一天大概绕地球15到16圈。 We collect that measurement of sunlight,and there's a million measurements per day. 我们收集阳光的测量值，每天一百万次。 So we know on an average basis about half of what humans emit is being removed by plants and the ocean. 所以，我们知道，人类排放的温室气体平均有一半被植物和海洋吸收。
But if you look at the details from year-to-year ,you've got these years where it's only 20 percent that's removed. 但如果看每年的具体吸收值，你会发现，这些年来，这一比例仅为20%。 And you' ve got years where it's 80 percent that's removed. 有几年的时间里，有80%的二氧化碳被吸收。 So one,why is every year so different?What's the driver for that? 所以，第一，为什么每年数据都不一样?背后的驱动力是什么?
And two,if I want to make some estimate of what's gonna happen 30,40,50 years down the road,I have to really understand the details of these behaviors to make a good prediction for the future. 第二，如果我想预测未来30年，40年甚至50年后的情况，我必须要真正理解这些行为的细节才能对未来做出准确预测。 We' re motivated to collect the very best scientific data we can,and that feeds into scientific inquiry,understanding,better prediction. 我们有动力尽可能地收集最准确的科学数据，这些数据有助于科学探究、认识和更科学的预测。 But the ultimate goal is to get that in the hands of the policymakers,because I think all of us want to make sure that policymakers have the best information possible to make the best decisions possible. 但最终目标是让决策者掌握这些信息，因为，我认为,我们所有人都想确保决策者拥有尽可能最精确的信息，以便尽可能做出最佳决策。
And that really is what we re trying to feed into.I mean that really motivates me and my work. 这就是我们的研究内容。我的意思是，这真的能激励我和我的工作。 I think engineering is fun,but problem solving and havingnew information that can make positive impact in people's lives is really the most important thing to me. 我认为，设计很有趣，但是，对我而言，解决问题和获得新信息对人们的生活产生积极的影响才最重要。 So we do have that goal ultimately with what we' re doing with our carbon dioxide measurements 因此，我们最终的目标是我们正在进行的二氧化碳测量。 了解更多英文外刊和资讯，就在英语时代。关注我，让思维与时代接轨！ |
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