Data, tools and users involved in air quality management

Draft(intended as guidance for AQ Cluster discussions)

March 2005

Air Quality Cluster

Management Track Earth Science Information Partners

Partners• NASA• NOAA• EPA• USGS• DOE• NSF• Industry• Internat.

Source ppt: http://datafed.net/AQCluster/Background/ESIP_AQ_Data_Users_Tools.pptContact: Stefan Falke stefan@wustl.edu

Air Quality – Related Data, Tools and Users

• The ESIP AQ cluster seeks to aid the flow of AQ-related data from the producers to the users

• Below is an initial summary of data providers and organizations using air quality/atmospheric chemistry data

• Data include surface observations, model output, and satellite imagery

• Many of these organizations (particularly federal and state agencies) are both producers and users of data, tools and other resources

• The data providers, users and tools included here are not intended to represent a comprehensive list but are merely a subset of the actual number of organization involved in air quality management. The following slides are intended to aid the deliberations of the AQ cluster.

Organizations Providing Access to Data

Goddard Space Flight CenterMODIS, SeaWiFS, TOMS, AVHRR, AERONET

Langley Research CenterAtmospheric Sciences Data CenterMISR, MOPITT

Earth System Science Workbench

A diverse set of organizations provide access to, processing and dissemination of satellite and other datasets pertinent to air quality research and management. A subset of those organizations include:

DataFed

National Climatic Data Center

ESIP’s membership disseminates or provides access to many datasets pertinent to AQ.

NOAA-National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service

EPA-Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards

Passive Microwave Earth Science Information Partner

Data from a variety of satellite sensors used in studying air quality

From Goldberg, 2004 (Operational Monitoring of AQ…)

Data from a variety of satellite sensors are used in studying air quality

From Dabbert and McHenry, 2004 (GEOSS: System Capabilities and the Role for U.S. EPA)

Satellite and other remote sensing data examples

Hazard Mapping System Web Fire MapperWF-ABBA

SeaWiFS AOT

Fire locations and smokeplumes

GASP

GOES Aerosol and Smoke Product

AERONETMISR AOD

MOPITT CO

MODIS AOT

Surface and model data examples potentially supplemented/complemented by satellite and remote sensing data

EPA AIRS, AirNOW

RPO VIEWS

NPS IMPROVE

Unidata

To effectively use satellite data for air quality applications they will supplement traditional air quality datasets including those obtained from surface monitoring networks and air quality models.

NCDC Surface ObservationsCMAQNaval Research Lab

AQ Applications and Tools

AirNow BlueskyRAINS

FASTNET US AQ - SmogBlog

Many ongoing projects involve the application of surface, model and satellite data for air quality management. The AQ Cluster will seek participation by these projects to gain insight into their experiences at the mediation interface and with the goal that the technologies developed as part of the cluster demonstrations will be useful in helping these projects achieve their objectives. Examples of some available tools and applications include.

IDEA

AQ Trends Report

Air Quality – Related Agencies and Organizations Draft Summary to be completed by the ESIP AQ Cluster

EPA – Environmental Protection Agency

NPS – National Park Service

NOAA – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RPOs – Regional Haze Regional Planning Organizations

NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NSF - National Science Foundation

WMO/GAW - Global Atmosphere Watch

IGAC - International Global Atmospheric Chemistry

GEOSS - Global Earth Observing System of Systems

EPA (1)G. Foley: Data Needs and Priorities of EPA:

How the EPA and Federation can work together to reach our common objectives?

• EPA needs to become a larger user of remotely sensed earth observation data• Define info needs through the use of its decision support tools, the observation and modeling• Seek partnerships with the Earth Observation community

EPA conducts extensive AQ monitoring, modeling and uses different decision support tools

EPA (2)NAAMS: National Ambient Air Monitoring Strategy

Application of Monitoring Data:

EPA is embarking on a bold new national strategy for AQ monitoring

NAAMS is redirecting focus from rigid, selective, intermittent monitoring to comprehensive real-time/continuous monitoring

NAAMS seeks to implement a multi-tier strategy that provides

• more complete pollutant characterization by a broader range of sensors and models

• data used in wider range of application, e.g. informing the public

EPA (3)

J. Bachmann:Air-Related Environmental Challenges for the 21st Century

AQ Management Challenges• Meeting NAAQ Standards

PM/O3/Haze, Toxics

NRC Recommendations:• Strengthen technical capacity• Expand multi-state control

strategies

NOAA’s Air Quality Program (1) Forecast Modeling and Monitoring

Source: S. Fine: NOAA AQ Program, Sept. 2004

Goals:• Provide information to make well-informed AQ decisions• Provide AQ forecast guidance to better anticipate AQ episodes

NOAA’s Air Quality Program (2) Satellite Monitoring

Source: M. Goldberg: NOAA Satellite Operations, Sept. 2004

Goals:• Collaborative with NASA and EPA in support for the AQ forecast program• Help define requirements for satellite-derived AQ products• Help propose new technologies• Help develop AQ products and implement them operationally• *************** Assimilate satellite products **************

Department of InteriorNational Park Service, Air Quality Program

Goals and Activities:‘To preserve, protect, enhance, and understand air quality … in the National Park System’

IMPROVE Monitoring Program

Regional Haze Regional Planning Organizations (RPO)

• Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Visibility Union (MANE - VU)• Lake Michigan Air Directors Consortium (LADCO)• Visibility Imp. State & Tribal Assoc. of the Southeast (VISTAS)• Central States Regional Air Partnership (CENRAP).• Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP)

•Pollutants that cause regional haze can originate from sources located across broad geographic areas

•EPA has encouraged the States to address visibility impairment from a regional perspective

•EPA funds five regional planning organizations (RPOs) to address regional haze issues:

• evaluate technical information to understand how the States impact Class I areas

•develop regional strategies to reduce emissions of PM and causes of regional haze

Data analysts working for the RPOs are major consumers of satellite products depicting PM-related parameters

NASA (1) L. Friedl, P. DaCola : Air Quality and Climate Change: Research and Applications

Goals and Activities:

Applications

NASA (2)L. Friedl: NASA Atmospheric Sciences: Research & Applications

Goals and Activities:

NSF Atmospheric Sciences/Atmospheric Chemistry

Goals and Activities:• Supports research to measure and model the concentration and

distribution of gases and aerosols. Supports research on– Chemical reactions in the atmosphere– Sources and sinks of important trace gases and aerosols– Aqueous-phase atmospheric chemistry– Transport of gases and aerosols throughout the atmosphere– Methods for measuring the concentrations of trace species and their

fluxes into and out of the atmosphere.

• NSF also provides support for participation by the US in international scientific research endeavors, such as the World Climate Research Program.

International Air Quality Programs (1) IGAC International Global Atmospheric Chemistry

Goals and Activities: Coordinated International Projects• To determine the global distributions of atmospheric chemical species and their change over time• To understand controlling processes and their impact on global change and air quality• To improve prediction of atmospheric over the coming decades by integrating atmospheric processes with the

response and feedbacks of the Earth System.

International Air Quality Programs (1) GAW - Global Atmospheric Watch

The rationale for GAW:• To understand the nature of natural and anthropogenic atmospheric change• Improve the understanding of atmosphere, ocean and biosphere interactions • Provide reliable scientific information for national and international policy makers

GEOSS: Global Earth Observing System of Systems

Over the next decade, a global Earth Observation System will revolutionize our understanding of the Earth and how it works.

Building an integrated, comprehensive and sustained global Earth Observation System opens a world of possibilities.

“A global system of Earth observations would provide us with tools to make national and global air quality forecasts in the same way we currently make weather forecasts.”

ToolsAQ Cluster

Satellite

Info. Tech.

ESIP

Surface

Models

AQ Data,Tools AQ Management

The combination of ESIP’s strategic goals, membership capabilities (data, tools, information technology, and infrastructure), and its established framework for collaboration, make it an ideal environment to pursue the enhanced flow of information for air quality decision making.