Vegetation Canopy LIDAR Mission: Possible Since the beginning of time, human activities that have been altering the Earth and its atmosphere have caused the earth to warm by about one degree Fahrenheit since the late 19th century. Whether these activities were essential or superfluous, the effects on and surrounding Earth are multitudinous. For example, a warmer Earth could lead to the spread of diseases, melting polar ice caps, receding glaciers, and a change in precipitation patterns (Gay 21). Recently, scientists have concluded that this shift of climate due to the buildup of greenhouse gases, in part, might be accredited to the popular practice of deforestation. Because human activities have altered the chemical composition of the atmosphere, scientists have developed laser-based sensors to map the structure of vegetation in the world’s forests. Some naturally occurring greenhouse gases such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone are released into the atmosphere through the normal methods of burning fuel and transporting coal (McCuen 15). Certain human activities add to the levels of these naturally occurring gases. Greenhouse gases that are not naturally occurring are called chlorofluorocarbon, hydroflurocarbons, and perfluorocarbons. These are generated by industrial processes (“Global Warming” 1). Scientists believe that deforestation is a major contributor acting to increase or decrease carbon into the atmosphere, in turn, potentially accelerating or inhibiting global warming. To date, scientists can only postulate how much carbon dioxide is being emitted into the air from the cutting down of forests. Therefore, scientists have developed a laser-based sensor to determine this mystery.Ground based LIDAR systems were introduced in the early 1960s, and were used to monitor the ozone and upper atmosphere. Then in the 1970s, airborne LIDAR devices were developed to extend lo...
