Chilling NASA Video Shows CO2 Spewing Out From the US Like Fiery Flames Into Earth’s Atmosphere

There is a villainous force destroying our planet, day after day that is subtly, but rapidly, growing in power and intensity. Scientists are worried that it might soon engulf the entire life-sustaining blue-green planet and swallow it within the grip of its poisonous fumes and turn the entire life kingdom to grey ash. The villain is a miasma called “Carbon dioxide.” In July 2024, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center shared a stunning simulation on YouTube, demonstrating how the enormous mustard-orange plumes of CO2 are wafting, billowing, and swirling in Earth’s atmosphere.

According to a press release by NASA, the video shows how carbon dioxide moved through Earth’s atmosphere from January through March 2020, driven by wind patterns and atmospheric circulation. The global map was created using a model called GEOS (Goddard Earth Observing System). GEOS is powered by a supercomputer and utilizes billions of data points from ground observations and satellite instruments to depict accurate visuals of elements like storm systems, cloud formations, and other natural events. Climate scientist Lesley Ott at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland noted that, as expected by him and his team, the model proved to be “tremendous.”

In the press release, NASA explains that the emissions shown in the simulation are mainly rising from power plants, fires, and cities, and then slowly spreading into continents. “As scientists, we're trying to account for where carbon comes from and how that impacts the planet to better inform policymakers,” said Ott. “You see here how everything is interconnected by these different weather patterns.” The team behind this simulation believes that it will prove to be extremely useful in understanding the greater impact CO2 is causing in the atmosphere. “We can’t tackle climate change without confronting the fact that we’re emitting massive amounts of CO2, and it’s warming the atmosphere,” Ott said. With 2024 recorded as the "hottest year," this investigation becomes even more important.

Although moderate proportions of this gas are useful in maintaining life on Earth, too much of it can be lethal. Its heat-trapping property can choke the essential atmosphere required for life. And numbers show that it has crossed these proportions, far too much. According to NASA, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere “increased from approximately 278 parts per million in 1750, the beginning of the industrial era, to 427 parts per million in May 2024.” The root cause behind this leapfrogging carbon dioxide proportions is “human activities.” The map looks like it's pulsing because of the difference in CO2 emissions in the day-night cycle and the absorption of a certain amount of CO2 by plants and oceans.

In the background, the invisible gas is triggering intense storms, wildfires, heat waves, and rising sea levels. Ott believes that this simulation will prove to be highly valuable for scientists who are trying to solve the puzzle of how to reduce carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. “The hope is that if we understand greenhouse gases really well today, we'll be able to build models that better predict them over the next decades or even centuries.” Unlike a human villain, this culprit can’t be imprisoned in a box; it can only be managed, restrained, and cooled down.