NASA Flies Through a Volcanic Laboratory: Rincón de la Vieja

An ecologist, a volcanologist, and a chemist joined scientists from NASA and the Universidad de Costa Rica this past summer in Rincón de la Vieja National Park to test whether an uncrewed aircraft system could sample volcanic gases and help predict how rising carbon dioxide will affect vegetation.

The effort, called CRATER, brings together NASA, the Universidad de Costa Rica, Chapman University, and Black Swift Technologies to bridge disciplines and study the tropical biosphere. “Oftentimes in the history of science, the biggest scientific breakthroughs have come at the intersections of disciplines,” Joshua Fisher said.

“We’ve been struggling to understand one of the most important scientific questions of our time, which is the response of the tropical biosphere to increasing levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.

Costa Rica, Rincón de la Vieja National Park

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