The Outset of Comprehensive Earth System Observation through ADEOS and TRMM Programs

摘要

In recent years, global environmental changes originating from human activities have been reaching detectable levels, causing much concern in regard to their possible adverse impacts as discussed in the Second Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1995, Kyoto Conference on Global Warming (COP-3) on December 1997. The primary issues include an increase of CO_2 and other greenhouse gases, depletion of the stratospheric ozone due to the release of chlorofluorocarbones into the atmosphere and the decrease of forest, particularly tropical rain forest. The likely impacts of these changes on long-term climatic changes are, however, clouded by a high level of uncertainty and no accurate long-term forecast is currently possible. One reason for this uncertainty is that sufficient data on many of geophysical parameters is unavailable.