NASA Imaging Spectrometer for Dust Mapping Across the Surface of Earth Arrives in ISS

The Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation or EMIT mission is set to map the different types of dust moving through the surface of Earth and see how this affects the temperatures.

Among the experiments and supplies delivered recently to the International Space Station was a new spectrometer instrument that could help show how tiny particles of dust can have a huge impact on the climate of Earth, a Digital Trends report specified.

A big factor in how different types of dust affect temperatures is their color since darker dust particles, such as those rich in iron, absorb heat and warm the air surrounding them, while lighter particles, such as those rich in clay, reflect heat.

The EMIT Mission

According to Natalie Mahowald, EMIT deputy principal investigator, typically, in climate models, yellow is used as mode dust. This is the average color of all types, although if one has gone to a desert region, he'll know that sand is not all a single color.

Essentially, EMIT will investigate ten specific dust varieties and map where they came from and how they move through the planet's surface, as dust particles can travel thousands of miles.

There are lots of availabilities in the emissions of dust. Every second, there is some variability because of shifts in wind or rain. There are also seasonal, yearly, and long-term variabilities, Mahowald continued explaining.

Essentially, EMIT will offer information on the source regions of dust, which is combined with other atmospheric and climate information to examine the change in emissions and understand what has been happening better in the past and what will take place in the future.

The EMIT instrument is described in a related Phys.org report as an "imaging spectrometer." It splits light into wavelengths and records their results.

By looking at what wavelengths are not present in the light since the dust particles have absorbed them, researchers can see what the particles are made of.

To Scan Land Strips 50 Miles Wide

In addition, EMIT can scan strips of land as wide as 50 miles, imaging more than four miles a second.

In the beginning, researchers were forking with individual spectrometers, EMIT's principal investigator Robert Green explained.

He added, that they will be effectively flying over 1200 spectrometers over the Earth's surface, each collecting hundreds of measurements a second.

Source of Dust

An MSN report said that the ISS's orbit around the Earth is ideal for dust-measuring as it revolves around some of the aridest areas of Earth.

Deserts are the source of most of the dust that travels worldwide. The harsh, remote conditions of such regions have made it difficult for researchers to sample dust over vast areas by hand on the ground.

Among 5800 pounds of other science investigations and crew supplies, EMIT was slated to arrive at the International Space Station on July 16.

It should be ready to begin collecting data by the end of this month, which the American space agency expects to share publicly within approximately two months.

Information about EMIT is shown on NASA's YouTube video below:

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