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The visualization was developed by NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio (SVS), using data from two key instruments: AIRS (Atmospheric Infrared Sounder), which measures carbon dioxide concentrations in the mid-atmosphere, and MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer), which analyzes the health and density of vegetation.
Thanks to this data, scientists discovered an innovative way to measure plant activity from space by observing a faint glow emitted during photosynthesis as if plants had an "inner light." This glow, invisible to the human eye and known as chlorophyll fluorescence, reveals how much CO crops and forests are absorbing.
This phenomenon has been compared to the planet's "heartbeat" or "breathing" because it follows a seasonal pattern rising with plant activity and falling when vegetation rests. The viral video captures this oscillation in an animation that resembles a giant inhalation and exhalation.
Does the Earth Really Breathe? Here's how this scientific metaphor works
To put it simply, fluorescence occurs when plants absorb sunlight and release a small part of it as a different kind of light. But the Earth doesn't breathe like a human being; it's a metaphor that represents a geochemical cycle: plants carrying out photosynthesis, soils breaking down organic matter, and oceans absorbing CO.
In summer, plants are more active, absorb large amounts of CO, and it's as if the Earth is "inhaling." In winter, when vegetation slows down, soils release carbon dioxide as if the planet is "exhaling." This pattern is more noticeable in the Northern Hemisphere, where there is more landmass.
The plant glow works like a heart monitor for this process: the more fluorescence, the more photosynthesis and the stronger the Earth "breathes." When the glow fades, it may be a sign of environmental stress, like droughts, and the planet's breathing becomes weaker.
This animation allows us to clearly visualize a complex phenomenon. It reminds us that forests are quite literally the lungs of the world. And while the Earth may not breathe like we do, it has a vital CO cycle that we now understand better thanks to the "glow" of plants... and the science behind the viral video.