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"Natural and human-induced changes in Earth's interior, land surface,
biosphere, atmosphere and oceans affect all aspects of life."
-- National Research Council
The Geostationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE) mission has
been recommended for launch in the 2013-2016 time frame by the National
Research Council. The mission's purpose is to gather science that identifies human versus
natural sources of aerosols and ozone precursors, tracks air pollution
transport, and studies the dynamics of coastal ecosystems, river plumes and
tidal fronts.
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GEO-CAPE will provide important information on coastal ocean regions to
study the impact of climate change and human activity on this poorly
observed yet important component of Earth's ecosystem. Continuous
observation from GEO-CAPE's geostationary platform will allow for more
adequate monitoring of population exposure and the ability to relate
pollutant concentrations to their sources or transport, thereby providing
data to improve air quality forecasts.
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