Data from NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory combined with computational power and tools provided by ORNL researchers will result in unprecedented levels of information about atmospheric carbon dioxide. The satellite, scheduled for launch in mid-January, will collect precise global measurements of CO2 and transmit that information to Earth. Using version 5 of the Goddard Earth Observing System model (GEOS-5), developed by a team that includes ORNL's David Erickson, scientists will with great precision be able to see sources and sinks of atmospheric CO2. The combination of Jaguar's massive computing power - 1.64 petaflops per second (peak) - and scientific interpretations aided by NASA satellite data should for the first time give scientists a clear picture of where carbon is being produced and where it ultimately ends up. Funding is provided by NASA and the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research.
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