ASDC | DISCOVER-AQ_Ground_insitu_Aerosol_Data

DISCOVER-AQ Level 2

Entry Title: DISCOVER-AQ Ground-based in-situ Aerosol Measurements

Entry ID: DISCOVER-AQ_Ground_insitu_Aerosol_Data_1

Field Campaigns

Description

DISCOVER-AQ_Ground_insitu_Aerosol_Data are ground-based in-situ measurements of aerosol properties in University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) ground-site during the Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from COlumn and VERtically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER-AQ) field campaign. This product is a result of NASA Earth-Venture funded mission DISCOVER-AQ. Data was collected for this product using a variety of instruments including nephelometers, Continuous Ambient Particulate tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM), and Met One Continuous Particulate Monitor.

Data from the Baltimore-Washington (2011), San Joaquin Valley, California (2013), and Houston, TX (2013) campaigns are included in this product. Data collection is complete. Monitoring air quality from space has made substantial progress, however, there are still many challenges faced today. One of those challenges that regulators face is monitoring the spatial distribution of pollutants as air quality monitoring networks are costly and have considerable gaps in their spatial coverage. Observations of near-surface pollution from satellites would provide an unprecedented view of the spatial distribution of pollution and could potentially provide a robust air quality observation system. NASA’s DISCOVER-AQ (Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality) was a multi-year field campaign aimed at improving our understanding of the role that remote sensing, including satellite-based remote sensing, could play in air quality monitoring systems. To achieve its science goals, DISCOVER-AQ employed two NASA aircraft, the P3-B and King Air, with the P-3B completing in-situ profiling of the atmosphere (aerosol properties, meteorological variables, and trace gas species). The King Air conducted both passive and active remote sensing of the atmospheric column extending below the aircraft to the surface. Data from an existing network of surface air quality monitors, AERONET sun photometers, Pandora UV/vis spectrometers and model simulations were also collected. Further, DISCOVER-AQ employed many surface monitoring sites, with measurements being made on the ground, in conjunction with the aircraft. Four campaigns collecting observations over different regions of the United States that are in violation of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). These campaigns included Baltimore-Washington (July 2011), San Joaquin Valley, California (January-February 2013), Houston, TX (September 2013), and Denver-Front Range region of Colorado (July-August 2014). The data collected during DISCOVER-AQ will improve the ability to monitor pollution from satellites and therefore allow scientists to make improved air quality forecasts.

DOI

10.5067/ASDC_DAAC/DISCOVER-AQ/0010

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GENERAL DOCUMENTATION

ASDC Data and Information for DISCOVER-AQ

PUBLICATIONS

From GCMD Science Keywords:

AEROSOL BACKSCATTER
ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE
AEROSOLS
AEROSOL PARTICLE PROPERTIES
AIR QUALITY
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

Airborne Science Data
Navigational Data

Data Distribution

File Format(s):

ICARTT

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Spatial Information

Spatial Coverage: (35.33, 39.25), (-119.77, -76.71)
Spatial Coverage Type: Horizontal
Coordinate System: Cartesian
Granule Spatial Representation: Cartesian

Locations

NORTH AMERICA

Temporal Information

Temporal Coverage: 2011-06-30 - 2011-08-01, 2011-06-30 - 2011-08-01
Temporal Resolution: Variable

Platforms

In Situ Land-based Platforms

GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS

TEOM

Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance

NEPHELOMETERS

Metadata Dates

Created on 2014-03-26

Last updated on 2020-09-04