Scientist developing modeling tool to track carbon emissions

Dr. Tao Zheng, a professor of Geography and Environmental Studies at Center Michigan University has been developing modeling tools to track carbon emissions with his collaborators. Their research in developing global online chemical transport model MPAS-CO2 system was funded by NASA’s Carbon Monitoring System program.

Now with both the forward and adjoint models MPAS-CO2 developed and tested, Dr. Zheng is working on integrating the model components into a data assimilation system to will allow estimation of carbon emissions globally.

Beside the MPAS-CO2 model system, the data assimilation system will need satellite observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide mixing ratios.

A new research grant from NASA’s Orbit Carbon Observatory (OCO) Science program has been received recently that will support Dr. Zheng to integrate satellite observations and MPAS-CO2 modeling system to estimate carbon emissions.