The glow represents satellite measurements of fluorescence of land plants in early July, over a period from 2007 to 2011. Image: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
During photosynthesis, the chlorophyll in healthy plants absorbs light to be converted into energy, but it also emits a little bit of light that’s not visible to the human eye. Scientists have now figured out how to use that fluorescent glow to measure the productivity of plants in a given region.
Using existing data from satellites designed for entirely different purposes, such as ozone monitoring, NASA scientists were able to show that during the Northern Hemisphere’s growing season, the midwestern U.S. has more photosynthetic activity than anywhere else on the planet, including the Amazon (the tropics are more productive on a yearly basis, however). Nearly all of this can be attributed to agriculture in what is sometimes called America’s Corn Belt — where, unlike the rainforest, crops are bred, engineered, and managed to be as productive as possible.
The image above is a compilation of data collected each early July from 2007 to 2011. The scientists think that fluorescence is a better measure of agricultural activity than anything currently used. And when they compared their results against ground measurements of carbon flux and yield statistics, they checked out.
Nothing signifies summer to me more than the smell of corn pollen in the air. I would guess that the peak in photosynthesis occurs prior the the peak of pollination, but would be curious to know when it actually takes place.
The proper title of the post should probably be hot glow or something along those lines, but I wanted to make a connection to A Christmas Story:
Ralphie as Adult: [narrating] Only one thing in the world could've dragged me away from the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window.
I notice the corner of Minnesota where I grew up is almost white on the map. Doesn't surprise me one little bit. I actually know guys who have been getting 240+ bu / acre corn since the 1990s.
ReplyDeleteWow. I'd love to see those kind of numbers on the yield monitor. I think our max yield has been about 215 bu /acre across a whole field, and that felt pretty good.
ReplyDeleteI believe the difference is that it isn't so hot as in Ohio. Those fancy hybrids are temp sensitive from what I hear. But I really don't know—those guys are just childhood friends. Mostly Mennonites. Not a bunch to lie but no, I don't know how they measure things. I THINK they just take the figures they get from the elevator and divide by their planted acreage.
DeleteBut yes, 215 is damn good!