Background
Global-scale modeling of air quality and trace gases provides key information in data-sparse regions of importance to the Department of State (DoS), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Energy (DOE), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). DoS requests air quality forecasts for health and safety decisions for U.S. Embassies in countries with poorest air quality. EPA and USDA seek air quality (i.e., nitrogen dioxide (NO2)) measurements in agriculture and rural regions; current in situ networks are in urban centers. NASA’s Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) will integrate data from distributed Pandora sensors into the Goddard Earth Observing System-Composition Forecast (GEOS-CF) model with downscaling approaches used for more precise air quality forecasts at EPA, USDA, and DoS sites of interest. There is a multi-agency need to improve the United States (U.S.) government's ability to detect and forecast crucial air quality parameters in poorly sampled locations both domestic and international. NASA is the leader in the validation of satellites and models and is leveraging these capabilities to meet these agency needs. This solution leverages and extends existing NASA sensor networks and forecasting models and develops new technology to provide more efficient and accurate atmospheric composition forecasting.
Status
Currently in Development, but Some Data are Available Now
Installation of Pandora sensors is ongoing for both domestic and embassy sites, and AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) and Clarity sensors will also be installed at select embassy sites. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) forecasts are available via the AERONET website for 270 embassy locations. NO2 forecasts are currently available, and ozone (O3) forecasts are currently being developed. These forecasts will become available for additional sites as more sensors are installed.
Solution Characteristics
| Solution Component | Air Quality Sensors | GMAO Forecasts | PM2.5 Forecasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Input Source | Ground-based Pandora Spectrometer System, AERONET sensors, Clarity sensors | Ground-based Pandora Spectrometer System and GEOS-CF model output | GEOS-Forward Processing, Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), and available PM2.5 measurements |
| Output Variables |
| Total column and surface ozone, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde |
|
| Processing Level | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Temporal Coverage | Dependent on sensor installation | January 2019 - To Be Determined (TBD) | May 2024 - present |
| Temporal Sampling | Hourly | Hourly | 3-hourly forecasts up to 72 hours in advance, updated daily |
| Latency | 1 hour | Forecasts available NRT, historical data available with 24 hours latency | Approximately 2-4 hours (dependent on GEOS-FP latency) |
| Spatial Coverage | Select U.S. embassies (20) and agricultural sites (10) | Select U.S. embassies (20) and agricultural sites (10) with plans to scale to all operational Pandora sensor locations | Select U.S. embassies (270) and cities (10,000+) |
| Spatial Resolution | Point locations | Point locations | Point locations |
| Data Format | Text files, HDF5 | Text files, JSON files | ASCII (available via API) |
Societal Impact
This solution provides measurements of air quality relevant to human health in international urban and domestic rural locations that lack the advanced measurement capabilities that are provided in domestic urban locations. It will also provide historical analyses and 5-day air quality forecasts at U.S. embassy locations, helping to better understand, anticipate, and mitigate human exposure to harmful air pollution.
Solution Resources
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