NASA Images Show Human Fingerprint on Global Air Quality – Release Materials

Using new, high-resolution global satellite maps of air quality indicators, NASA scientists tracked air pollution trends over the last decade in various regions and 195 cities around the globe. According to recent NASA research findings, the United States, Europe and Japan have improved air quality thanks to emission control regulations, while China, India and the Middle East, with their fast-growing economies and expanding industry, have seen more air pollution. Scientists examined observations made from 2005 to 2014 by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument aboard NASA s Aura satellite. One of the atmospheric gases the instrument detects is nitrogen dioxide, a yellow-brown gas that is a common emission from cars, power plants and industrial activity. Nitrogen dioxide can quickly transform into ground-level ozone, a major respiratory pollutant in urban smog. Nitrogen dioxide hotspots, used as an indicator of general air quality, occur over most major cities in developed and developing nations.The following visualizations include two types of data. The absolute concentrations show the concentration of tropospheric nitrogen dioxide, with blue and green colors denoting lower concentrations and orange and red areas indicating higher concentrations. The second type of data is the trend data from 2005 to 2014, which shows the observed change in concentration over the ten-year period. Blue indicated an observed decrease in nitrogen dioxide, and orange indicates an observed increase. Please note that the range on the color bars (text is in white) changes from location to location in order to highlight features seen in the different geographic regions. This video provides an overview of the study findings. An HD version of this video is available here: Human Fingerprint on Global Air Quality

For complete transcript, click here. Using new, high-resolution global satellite maps of air quality indicators, NASA scientists tracked air pollution trends over the last decade in various regions and 195 cities around the globe. The United States, Europe and Japan have improved air quality thanks to emission control regulations, while China, India and the Middle East, with their fast-growing economies and expanding industry, have seen more air pollution.Scientist Bryan Duncan and his team examined observations made from 2005 to 2014 by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument aboard NASA s Aura satellite. One of the atmospheric gases the instrument detects is nitrogen dioxide, a yellow-brown gas that is a common emission from cars, power plants and industrial activity. Nitrogen dioxide can quickly transform into ground-level ozone, a major respiratory pollutant in urban smog. Nitrogen dioxide hotspots, used as an indicator of general air quality, occur over most major cities in developed and developing nations.

NO2 over the United States as measured by OMI, with labels Nitrogen dioxide can impact the respiratory system, and it also contributes to the formation of other pollutants including ground-level ozone and particulates. The gas is produced primarily during the combustion of gasoline in vehicle engines and coal in power plants. Air pollution has decreased even though population and the number of cars on the roads have increased. The shift is the result of regulations, technology improvements and economic changes, scientists say.This visualization shows tropospheric column concentrations of nitrogen dioxide as detected by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA s Aura satellite, averaged yearly from 2005-2022. NO2 over the United States as measured by OMI, no labels NO2 over the United States as measured by OMI, no labels, by year. Each year 2005-2022 can be accessed through the drop-down menu for this item. Years only, 2005-2022 NO2 colorbar, 0.0-10.0x1015 molecules/cm2

NO2 over the United States as measured by OMI, with labels Nitrogen dioxide can impact the respiratory system, and it also contributes to the formation of other pollutants including ground-level ozone and particulates. The gas is produced primarily during the combustion of gasoline in vehicle engines and coal in power plants. Air pollution has decreased even though population and the number of cars on the roads have increased. The shift is the result of regulations, technology improvements and economic changes, scientists say.This visualization shows tropospheric column concentrations of nitrogen dioxide as detected by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA s Aura satellite, averaged yearly from 2005-2021. NO2 over the United States as measured by OMI, no labels NO2 over the United States as measured by OMI, with labels, by year. Each year 2005-2021 can be accessed through the drop-down menu for this item. NO2 over the United States as measured by OMI, no labels, by year. Each year 2005-2021 can be accessed through the drop-down menu for this item. NO2 colorbar, 0.0-10.0x1015 molecules/cm2

Music: from Universal Production MusicComplete transcript available.Coming soon to our YouTube channel. Pandemic-related shutdowns have affected how people act, so scientists began monitoring how that’s affected the planet— specifically nitrogen dioxide emissions. How does COVID-19 pollution patterns play into NASA computer models? NASA’s GEOS atmospheric composition model shows us the answer.

USA NO2, Updated to 2016 A hyperwall show of OMI NO2 over the United States, updated using 2016 data.For context and additional information: NASA Images Show Human Fingerprint on Global Air Quality

Global NO2 Concentrations, Endpoint Fade 2005, 2014 A collection of hyperwall shows used in the 2015 meeting of the American Geophysical Union.For context and additional information: NASA Images Show Human Fingerprint on Global Air Quality Global NO2 Concentrations, Animated 2005-2014 United States Absolute Trend China Absolute Trend Europe Absolute Trend Middle East Absolute Trend South Africa Absolute Trend

Dr. Bryan N. Duncan is a deputy project scientist for the Aura Mission at NASA Goddard. In this talk he tells the story of air quality in three cities-Beijing, Los Angeles, and Atlanta.For complete transcript, click here. In this talk, Dr. Bryan Duncan, tells a tale of air quality in three cities—Beijing, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. Instruments on NASA satellites monitor pollution around the world. One of these, The Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), on the AURA satellite, has observed large amounts of sulfur dioxide over Beijing, which is released when coal is burned. Similarly, in the 1950s, LA experienced high levels of another air pollutant—ozone—which was sometimes recorded at above 500 ppbv. (The current National Ambient Air Quality Standard is 75 ppbv). With the advent of catalytic converters and other environmental policy efforts that number went way down. But what worked to reduce ozone in Los Angeles didn’t work to reduce high ozone levels in another city—Atlanta. In this talk, Dr. Bryan Duncan, talks about the dynamic nature of air quality, what causes ozone, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide, and why reducing volatile organic carbon pollution worked to reduce ozone in Los Angeles, but not in Atlanta.