Remote Sensing of Carbon Dioxide at the Metropolitan Area of Sao Paulo

• Grant number: 25/08233-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Meteorology
• Principal Investigator: Márcia Akemi Yamasoe
• Grantee: Gabriela Lima da Silva
• Supervisor: Hartmut Boesch
• Host Institution: Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Bremen, Germany
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/21088-8 - Greenhouse gases and aerosol impacts from biomass burning and other sources on the radiation budget over the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, BP.DD

Abstract

The Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP), the largest urban area in South America, faces significant environmental challenges due to its rapid urbanization, leading to high greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide (CO¿). The increase in vehicle traffic, the largest source of CO¿ emissions in the region, along with urban development contributes to severe air pollution, adversely affecting public health and the local climate. Urban areas, although covering only about 3% of the Earth's surface, are responsible for over 70% of global CO¿ emissions related to energy, underscoring the urgent need for effective emission monitoring and mitigation strategies. This project aims to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution of CO¿ in the MASP using data from the OCO-2 and OCO-3 satellites. It will quantify diurnal and seasonal variations in CO¿ concentrations and examine the impact of anthropogenic activities and land-use changes. The methodology includes satellite data analysis of CO¿ variations, focusing on high-resolution data to understand the complex dynamics of emissions in this significant urban center. Expected results include a deeper understanding of CO¿ emission patterns in the MASP, insights into the relationship between emissions and human activities, and contributions to effective public policies for climate change mitigation in urban environments.