What is ACE?

ACE is a tier 2 Decadal Survey mission focusing on clouds and aerosols as well as ocean ecosystems

What will ACE do?

ACE will help to answer emerging fundamental science questions associated with aerosols, clouds, air quality and global ocean ecosystems. ACE is what these communities need to continue pioneering Earth System Science.

Why two goals?

• Ocean biology measurements and aerosols measurements meet at the algorithm level. Accurate estimation of the aerosol contribution to the backscatter radiation are required to make precise ocean biosphere measurements. Aerosol interference with ocean color measurements has been a major limitation in past missions
• There are common science problems between the two communities as well! Fertilization of the ocean by dust will change in the future with climate change. Aerosols are formed by oceanic emitted DMS and changes in the ocean ecosystem will alter the planetary energy budget.