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Satellite Data of Atmospheric Pollution for U.S. Air Quality Applications: Examples of Applications, Summary of Data End-User Resources, Answers to FAQs, and Common Mistakes to AvoidSatellite data of atmospheric pollutants are becoming more widely used in the decision-making and environmental management activities of public, private sector and non-profit organizations. They are employed for estimating emissions, tracking pollutant plumes, supporting air quality forecasting activities, providing evidence for "exceptional event" declarations, monitoring regional long-term trends, and evaluating air quality model output. However, many air quality managers are not taking full advantage of the data for these applications nor has the full potential of satellite data for air quality applications been realized. A key barrier is the inherent difficulties associated with accessing, processing, and properly interpreting observational data. A degree of technical skill is required on the part of the data end-user, which is often problematic for air quality agencies with limited resources. Therefore, we 1) review the primary uses of satellite data for air quality applications, 2) provide some background information on satellite capabilities for measuring pollutants, 3) discuss the many resources available to the end-user for accessing, processing, and visualizing the data, and 4) provide answers to common questions in plain language.
Document ID
20150002811
Acquisition Source
Langley Research Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Duncan, Bryan
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Prados, Ana I.
(Maryland Univ. Baltimore County Baltimore, MD, United States)
Lamsal, Lok
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Liu, Yang
(Emory Univ. Atlanta, GA, United States)
Streets, David G.
(Argonne National Lab. IL, United States)
Gupta, Pawan
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Hilsenrath, Ernest
(Maryland Univ. Baltimore County Baltimore, MD, United States)
Kahn, Ralph A.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Nielsen, J. Eric
(Science Systems and Applications, Inc. Lanham, MD, United States)
Beyersdorf, Andreas J.
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Burton, Sharon P.
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Fiore, Arlene M.
(Columbia Univ. Palisades, NY, United States)
Fishman, Jack
(Saint Louis Univ. MO, United States)
Henze, Daven K.
(Colorado Univ. Boulder, CO, United States)
Hostetler, Chris
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Krotkov, Nickolay A.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Pius, Lee
(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Camp Springs, MD, United States)
Lin, Meiyun
(Princeton Univ. NJ, United States)
Pawson, Steven
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Pickering, Kenneth
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
March 11, 2015
Publication Date
May 21, 2014
Publication Information
Publication: Atmospheric Environment
Volume: 94
Subject Category
Environment Pollution
Report/Patent Number
NF1676L-19039
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 153351.05.04.01.05.01
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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