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Trees make up a huge portion of the what scientists call the world's biomass.
在科学家所称的世界的生物量中，树木占据了庞大的比例。
So we often talk about the biomass of the forest. All that is, is how much do the trees weigh.
当我们谈论森林的生物量时，谈论的就是树木的重量。
You know their biomass, how much they weigh, half of the biomass of a tree is carbon.
如果你知道它们的生物量，它们的重量，一棵树的生物量的一半是碳的重量。
And knowing exactly how much planet warming carbon is locked in those trees, a process called carbon sequestration,
确切地知道有多少使地球变暖的碳被锁在这些树上，这个过程被称为碳封存，
has been something NASA scientists have wanted to do for a long time.
这是美国国家航空和宇宙航行局的科学家们长期以来一直想做的事情。
It's really critical that we understand what the current carbon content of the forest is today.
了解目前森林中的碳含量是非常重要的。
We need a good global map of where the carbon is. And the reason we need that is because whenever we cut down trees,
我们需要一张有用的全球碳分布图。我们需要这样做的原因是，每当我们砍伐树木时，
we are going to release carbon into the atmosphere and we do not know how much carbon they are releasing.
我们会向大气中释放碳，而我们不知道它们释放了多少碳。
And now they are going to get their global map, thanks to this refrigerator-sized satellite
多亏了这个冰箱大小的卫星，现在我们将获得全球碳分布图，
that launched in early December and will soon be deployed on the International Space Station.
这个卫星在12月初发射，不久将被部署在国际空间站。
GEDI is a laser altimeter, so it's an active optical instrument. We have lasers that emit pulses of light,
GEDI是一种激光高度计，所以它是一种主动光学仪器。我们用激光发射光脉冲，
they travel down to the earth, they get reflected from the earth and then we receive the reflection.
它们向下到达地球，从地球上反射回来，然后我们接收到反射信号。
Exactly measuring that reflection will let scientists determine the exact height and weight of the trees in the forest and in your neighborhood.
科学家对反射信号精确测量以后，他们就能确定森林中和你的邻居的树木的准确高度和重量。
And knowing that will help scientists discover not only how much carbon is being held in storage,
了解树木的准确高度和重量不仅将帮助科学家们发现有多少碳被储存起来，
but also things like where there is room to plant more trees, and how much carbon, deforestation is releasing into the atmosphere.
而且还能发现哪里有种植更多树木的空间，以及森林砍伐会向大气中释放多少碳。
Really, one of the coolest things about GEDI is that we are going to get upwards of 10 billion estimates at how tall trees are.
真的，关于这个激光高度计最酷的事情之一，就是我们将得到100多亿棵树的高度估计值。
It is highly likely that trees on your block are going to be measured by GEDI.
你所在街区的树木极有可能会由这个激光高度计测量.
GEDI will be working for the next two years and will also be monitoring things like melting ice sheets and coastal flooding.
GEDI将在未来两年内运行，它也将监测冰原融化和沿海洪灾等情况。
Kevin Enochs, VOA news.
凯文·恩尼克斯，VOA新闻。
