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Air Quality Science and Regulatory Efforts Require Geostationary Satellite MeasurementsAir quality scientists and regulatory agencies would benefit from the high spatial and temporal resolution trace gas and aerosol data that could be provided by instruments on a geostationary platform. More detailed time-resolved data from a geostationary platform could be used in tracking regional transport and in evaluating mesoscale air quality model performance in terms of photochemical evolution throughout the day. The diurnal cycle of photochemical pollutants is currently missing from the data provided by the current generation of atmospheric chemistry satellites which provide only one measurement per day. Often peak surface ozone mixing ratios are reached much earlier in the day during major regional pollution episodes than during local episodes due to downward mixing of ozone that had been transported above the boundary layer overnight. The regional air quality models often do not simulate this downward mixing well enough and underestimate surface ozone in regional episodes. Having high time-resolution geostationary data will make it possible to determine the magnitude of this lower-and mid-tropospheric transport that contributes to peak eight-hour average ozone and 24-hour average PM2.5 concentrations. We will show ozone and PM(sub 2.5) episodes from the CMAQ model and suggest ways in which geostationary satellite data would improve air quality forecasting. Current regulatory modeling is typically being performed at 12 km horizontal resolution. State and regional air quality regulators in regions with complex topography and/or land-sea breezes are anxious to move to 4-km or finer resolution simulations. Geostationary data at these or finer resolutions will be useful in evaluating such models.
Document ID
20060020055
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Pickering, Kenneth E.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Allen, D. J.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Stehr, J. W.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2006
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Meeting Information
Meeting: NCAR Workshop
Location: Boulder, CO
Country: United States
Start Date: February 21, 2006
End Date: February 23, 2006
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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