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UTILIZING SATELLITE OBSERVATIONS TO EXPAND EPA'S AIR MONITORING NETWORK: A NEW PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN NASA AND EPA
Citation:
Szykman, J., D J. Williams, V Kilaru, J. Fishman, D. Neil, B. Pierce, AND C. Kitta. UTILIZING SATELLITE OBSERVATIONS TO EXPAND EPA'S AIR MONITORING NETWORK: A NEW PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN NASA AND EPA. Presented at Science Forum 2003, Washington, DC, May 5-7, 2003.
Impact/Purpose:
The objectives of this task are to:
Assess new remote sensing technology for applicability to landscape characterization; Integrate multiple sensor systems data for improved landscape characterization;
Coordinate future technological needs with other agencies' sensor development programs;
Apply existing remote sensing systems to varied landscape characterization needs; and
Conduct remote sensing applications research for habitat suitability, water resources, and terrestrial condition indicators.
Description:
Over the next decade, data requirements to inform air quality management decisions and policies will need to be expanded to large spatial domains to accommodate decisions which more frequently cross geo-political boundaries; from urban (local) and regional scales to regional, super-regional and international scales. Decisions and policies that involve these larger spatial scales will require data that can provide synoptic views of critical environmental variables. To a large degree, atmospheric chemistry models have filled this infrequent need in the past, but "', models are resource intensive and coming to a consensus use of such models can be difficult.However, as the world moves toward a global economy, and the scientific fact that air pollution has no boundaries, the need for more frequent assessments' to combat global air pollution will increase. The fact will remain that large ground level monitoring networks are impractical to implement on a global basis and present numerous issues.
Over the past several years we have seen the emergence of trace gas and aerosol space-based measurements that can help provide these larger scale views for Air Quality assessments. Current instruments aboard US and European satellites can provide measurements of trace gases and aerosols relating directly to most of EPA's criteria pollutants (e.g., 03, NO2, SO2, CO, and particulate matter [aerosols]). This poster will present an overview of tropospheric trace gas column products from instruments such TOMS (Total Ozone Monitoring Spectrometer) and GOME (Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment), and aerosols from MODIS (Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and MISR (Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer). We will provide examples showing the utility of the data in conjunction with EP A 's ground monitoring networks; discuss the enormous potential for the use of data from these instruments and future satellite instruments such ~ OM! (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) and CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite) within EPA's air program; and identify how a new and emerging partnership between EP A and NASA can fulfill these needs.