Scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center have created a stunning ultra-high-resolution computer model of global greenhouse gasses as they enter and travel throughout the Earth's atmosphere.
The supercomputer model, called GEOS-5, is the first of its kind, and illustrates carbon dioxide emissions over the course of the year 2006.
The simulation, which is based on measurements taken at ground level, shows the highest concentrations of carbon dioxide emitting from production centers in North America, Europe, and Asia, and the gas's dispersal by global weather patterns.
In the Northern hemisphere's spring and summer, concentrations of carbon dioxide start to fade as the gas is absorbed by plants through photosynthesis.
Half of the carbon dioxide emitted by the combustion of fossil fuels each year is re-absorbed into oceans and land. The other half remains in the atmosphere, where it contributes to rising global temperatures.
During the Southern hemisphere's summer, carbon monoxide emissions also become visible and disperse throughout the global atmosphere.
As autumn and winter return to the Nothern hemisphere, the carbon dioxide begins to collect there once again.
Climate scientists will continue to use GEOS-5 in tandem with NASA's new Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO-2) to trace the production and movement of greenhouse gasses in order to better predict the consequences of global climate change.
You can watch the full video below, and read more about the simulator on NASA's website here.
