The Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC) has released data for the Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER-AQ) mission. The DISCOVER-AQ campaign took place over four years from 2011 to 2014 in collaboration between NASA Langley Research Center, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Ames Research Center, and multiple universities with the goal of improving the use of satellites to monitor air quality for public health and environmental benefit.
Flights were conducted by the P-3B and King Air aircraft over Baltimore-Washington, D.C. in 2011, Houston, TX in 2013, San Joaquin Valley, CA in 2013, and Denver, CO in 2014, with these regions being targeted due to being in violation of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The P-3B completed in-situ profiling of the atmosphere such as aerosol properties, meteorological variables, and trace gas species, and the King Air performed both passive and active remote sensing of the atmospheric column extending below the aircraft to the surface. Measurements taken during the DISCOVER-AQ mission assist in determining the sources of and changes in air pollution, allowing for more effective handling of pollution problems.
Additional information on DISCOVER-AQ can be found on the ASDC DISCOVER-AQ landing page.