Tracking Atmospheric Change from Space

Lecture by

Dylan Millet
Senior Fellow 2025–2026

Details

Venue & accessibility info: Meridian Hall, Collegium Helveticum

This is a public event. Participation is free of charge and registration is not required.

The lecture is followed by a small reception.

Earth’s atmosphere is undergoing rapid and far-reaching change, with consequences that extend from local air quality to the global climate system. The forces shaping these shifts are complex and often opposing, reflecting both technological progress and intensifying human activity.

Cleaner-burning fuels and gains in energy efficiency have improved air quality in some regions. However, accelerating urbanization and industrialization are driving higher levels of air pollution across many developing areas. At the same time, global concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases continue to climb. Shifts in fire activity are further complicating this picture—reducing smoke exposure in some places while dramatically worsening it in others.

Together, these changes are altering atmospheric chemistry, influencing the climate system, and affecting both human and ecosystem health. Satellite-based measurements play a critical role in tracking these transformations on a global scale, particularly in regions where ground-based monitoring is limited or nonexistent. Looking ahead, the future of satellite observations holds promising new capabilities, but also faces significant coverage gaps and potential mission cancellations.

This lecture will provide an overview of the current satellite observing landscape, highlight how weather satellites can be used to map reactive emissions and assess their impacts, and conclude with a discussion of future priorities for building a more comprehensive global atmospheric observing system.