Una nuova missione spaziale della NASA permetterà di misurare quanta acqua c'è sulla Terra e come è distribuita, per comprendere quello che sta succedendo con i mutamenti climatici. Martedì sera, dalla base californiana di Vandenberg, partirà un razzo Falcon 9 della società Space X, con l'obiettivo di mandare in orbita due nuovi satelliti messi a punto per la GRACE-FO Mission.
"Quello che si cerca di capire è effettivamente lo spostamento delle masse d'acqua su tutto il globo", spiega l'esperto di questioni spaziali, Bruno Storni, docente alla SUPSI e al Politecnico di Losanna (ascolta l'audiogramma di seguito). "Sappiamo che gli acquiferi si stanno riducendo. Si usa più acqua di quella che la pioggia rimette", ricorda.
Pronto il lancio di due satelliti
Bruno Storni, docente SUPSI - L'audiogramma
RSI Mondo 22.05.2018, 14:32
La minima variazione di massa sul nostro pianeta modifica la gravità esercitata sui satelliti, ed è questo il principio su cui si basa la tecnologia di questa missione. "Il satellite scansiona la Terra e ogni mese abbiamo un'immagine nuova, quindi possiamo valutare per esempio quando il ghiaccio aumenta in Groenlandia e poi diminuisce durante l'estate".
Gli strumenti permetteranno di rilevare una variazione equivalente a un centimetro di altezza d'acqua su un'area di 340 chilometri di diametro.
RG/AFP/eb
L'intervista completa a Bruno Storni
RSI Mondo 22.05.2018, 17:44
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