Gallery: Air Quality - NASA Scientific Visualization Studio

That's why we use NASA's Earth-observing satellites to track air quality on our home planet. The data they generate are incorporated into products like the U.S. ... AirQuality Airisallaroundus,butit’shardtoseewhenharmfulparticulatesare,too.That’swhyweuseNASA’sEarth-observingsatellitestotrackairqualityonourhomeplanet.ThedatatheygenerateareincorporatedintoproductsliketheU.S.AirQualityIndexthepublicusestomakedecisionsthatprotecttheirhealthandwell-being. ContentContact: AirQuality-NitrogenDioxideChangesrelatedtoCOVID-19 ViewDescriptions AirQuality-SulfurDioxideMeasurementChangesrelatedtoCOVID-19 ViewDescriptions AdditionalResources ViewDescriptions Backtotop ViewAllDescriptions AirQuality-NitrogenDioxideChangesrelatedtoCOVID-19 NASA,ESA,JAXAReleaseGlobalViewofCOVID-19Impacts 2020.06.25 NortheastUS-ReductionsinNitrogenDioxideAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 India-ReductionsinNitrogenDioxideAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 LosAngeles-ReductionsinNitrogenDioxideAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 COVID-19:NASASatelliteDataShowDropinAirPollutionOverU.S. 2020.05.18 New-GenerationSatelliteObservationsMonitorAirPollutionDuringCOVID-19LockdownMeasuresinCalifornia 2020.05.08 SoutheasternUS-ReductionsinPollutionAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 Florida-ReductionsinPollutionAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 Lima,Peru-NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 Santiago,Chili-NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 BuenasAires,Argentina-NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 DeviationofModeledNormalPollutionLevelsfromMeasurementsFollowingCOVID-19Lockdown 2020.11.17 NASA,ESA,JAXAReleaseGlobalViewofCOVID-19Impacts 2020.06.25 NortheastUS-ReductionsinNitrogenDioxideAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 India-ReductionsinNitrogenDioxideAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 LosAngeles-ReductionsinNitrogenDioxideAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 COVID-19:NASASatelliteDataShowDropinAirPollutionOverU.S. 2020.05.18 New-GenerationSatelliteObservationsMonitorAirPollutionDuringCOVID-19LockdownMeasuresinCalifornia 2020.05.08 SoutheasternUS-ReductionsinPollutionAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 Florida-ReductionsinPollutionAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 Lima,Peru-NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 Santiago,Chili-NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 BuenasAires,Argentina-NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 DeviationofModeledNormalPollutionLevelsfromMeasurementsFollowingCOVID-19Lockdown 2020.11.17 NASA,ESA,JAXAReleaseGlobalViewofCOVID-19Impacts 2020.06.25 NortheastUS-ReductionsinNitrogenDioxideAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 India-ReductionsinNitrogenDioxideAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 LosAngeles-ReductionsinNitrogenDioxideAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 COVID-19:NASASatelliteDataShowDropinAirPollutionOverU.S. 2020.05.18 New-GenerationSatelliteObservationsMonitorAirPollutionDuringCOVID-19LockdownMeasuresinCalifornia 2020.05.08 SoutheasternUS-ReductionsinPollutionAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 Florida-ReductionsinPollutionAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 Lima,Peru-NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 Santiago,Chili-NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 BuenasAires,Argentina-NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 DeviationofModeledNormalPollutionLevelsfromMeasurementsFollowingCOVID-19Lockdown 2020.11.17 NASA,ESA,JAXAReleaseGlobalViewofCOVID-19Impacts 2020.06.25 NortheastUS-ReductionsinNitrogenDioxideAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 India-ReductionsinNitrogenDioxideAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 LosAngeles-ReductionsinNitrogenDioxideAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 COVID-19:NASASatelliteDataShowDropinAirPollutionOverU.S. 2020.05.18 New-GenerationSatelliteObservationsMonitorAirPollutionDuringCOVID-19LockdownMeasuresinCalifornia 2020.05.08 SoutheasternUS-ReductionsinPollutionAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 Florida-ReductionsinPollutionAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 Lima,Peru-NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 Santiago,Chili-NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 BuenasAires,Argentina-NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 DeviationofModeledNormalPollutionLevelsfromMeasurementsFollowingCOVID-19Lockdown 2020.11.17 NASA,ESA,JAXAReleaseGlobalViewofCOVID-19Impacts 2020.06.25 NASA,ESA(EuropeanSpaceAgency)andJAXA(JapanAerospaceExplorationAgency)havecreatedadashboardofsatellitedatashowingimpactsontheenvironmentandsocioeconomicactivitycausedbytheglobalresponsetothecoronavirus(COVID-19)pandemic. ThedashboardwillbereleasedonThursday,June25duringatri-agencymediabriefing.Thebriefingspeakersare: • JosefAschbacher,directorofESAEarthObservationProgrammes • ThomasZurbuchen,associateadministratorofNASA’sScienceMissionDirectorate • KojiTerada,vicepresidentanddirectorgeneralfortheSpaceTechnologyDirectorateatJAXA • Shin-ichiSobue,projectmanagerforJAXA’sALOS-2mission • KenJucks,programscientistforNASA’sOCO-2andAuramissions • AncaAnghelea,opendatascientist,ESAEarthobservationprogrammes NortheastUS-ReductionsinNitrogenDioxideAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 Overthepastseveralweeks,theUnitedStateshasseensignificantreductionsinairpollutionoveritsmajormetropolitanareas.Similarreductionsinairpollutionhavebeenobservedinotherregionsoftheworld.Theserecentimprovementsinairqualityhavecomeatahighcost,ascommunitiesgrapplewithwidespreadlockdownsandshelter-in-placeordersasaresultofthespreadofCOVID-19.Oneairpollutant,nitrogendioxide(NO2),isprimarilyemittedfromburningfossilfuels(diesel,gasoline,coal),comingoutofourtailpipeswhendrivingcarsandsmokestackswhengeneratingelectricity.Therefore,changesinNO2levelscanbeusedasanindicatorofchangesinhumanactivity.However,caremustbetakenwhenprocessingandinterpretingsatelliteNO2dataasthequantityobservedbythesatelliteisnotexactlythesameastheNO2abundanceatgroundlevel.NO2levelsareinfluencedbydynamicalandchemicalprocessesintheatmosphere.Forinstance,atmosphericNO2levelscanvaryday-to-dayduetochangesintheweather,whichinfluencesboththelifetimeofNO2moleculesaswellasthedispersalofthemoleculesbythewind.ItisalsoimportanttonotethatsatellitesthatobserveNO2cannotseethroughclouds,soalldatashownisfordayswithlowamountsofcloudiness.Ifprocessedandinterpretedcarefully,NO2levelsobservedfromspaceserveasaneffectiveproxyforNO2levelsatEarth'ssurface. NASA'sairqualitygroupisalsomonitoringotherairpollutants,suchassulfurdioxide(SO2).MajoranthropogenicactivitiesthatemitSO2includeelectricitygeneration,oilandgasextraction,andmetalsmelting.SO2isemittedduringelectricitygenerationifthecoalburnedhassulfurimpuritiesthatarenotremoved(ornot“scrubbed”)fromtheplant’sexhauststacks. FormoreinformationonwhatpollutantsNASAsatellitesobserve,visittheNASAAirQualitywebsite. India-ReductionsinNitrogenDioxideAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 AnimatedGifoftroposphericNO2,March25-April25ofIndiansubcontinent.OnMarch24,2020,PrimeMinisterModiorderedanationwidestay-at-homeorderforIndia’s1.3billioncitizensinanattempttoslowthespreadofCOVID-19. LosAngeles-ReductionsinNitrogenDioxideAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 AnimatedGif-troposphericNO2fromMarch25-April25timeseriesinsouthwesternUS. NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 OnJune1,theWorldHealthOrganizationnotedthatCentralandSouthAmericancountrieshavebecome“theintensezones”forCOVID-19transmission.TheOzoneMonitoringInstrument(OMI)onboardNASA’sAurasatelliteprovidesdatathatindicatethatrestrictionsonhumanactivityhaveledtoabouta36%decreaseinNO2levelsinRiodeJaneiro,Brazil,relativetopreviousyears.OtherlargecitiesinSouthAmericashowsimilardecreasesinNO2:36%inSantiago,Chile;35%inSãoPaolo,Brazil;and40%inBuenosAires,Argentina.OnenotableexceptionisinLima,Peru,showinga69%decrease.Thelargedecreasemaypartlybeassociatedwithnaturalvariationsinweatherthatcan,forinstance,disperseairpollutionmorequickly.AdditionalanalysisisrequiredtodeterminetheamountofthedecreaseofNO2inLimathatisassociatedwithadecreaseinhumanactivity.AnotableincreaseinNO2occurredinnorthernSouthAmerica,whichislikelyassociatedwithincreasedagriculturalburningin2020relativetopreviousyears. COVID-19:NASASatelliteDataShowDropinAirPollutionOverU.S. 2020.05.18 Theseimagesshowtheimpactthespreadofthenovelcoronavirus(COVID-19)hashadonreducingairpollutionintheUnitedStatesaswidespreadlockdownsandshelter-in-placeordershavebeenputinplace.Theimagesshowareductioninthelevelsofnitrogendioxide(NO2)—anoxiousgasemittedbymotorvehicles,powerplants,andindustrialfacilities—asmeasuredbytheOzoneMonitoringInstrument(OMI)onNASA’sAurasatelliteinMarch2020.The“withoutstay-at-homeorders”imagesshowaveragemonthlyNO2concentrationsduringMarchandAprilfrom2015through2019,whilethe“duringstay-at-homeorders”imagesshowaveragemonthlyconcentrationsinMarchandApril2020. Theseimprovementsinairqualityhavecomeatahighcost,ascommunitiesgrapplewiththeimpactsofCOVID-19.ThedataindicatethattheNO2levelsinMarchandApril2020aremuchloweronaverageacrosstheUnitedStateswhencomparedtothemeanof2015to2019. New-GenerationSatelliteObservationsMonitorAirPollutionDuringCOVID-19LockdownMeasuresinCalifornia 2020.05.08 PreventativemeasuresadoptedtoreducetherateofspreadofCOVID-19intheU.S.promptedanoverallslowdownineconomicactivityandfewervehiclesontheroadwaysinthespringof2020.ToexaminechangesinairqualityinCalifornia,NASAconstructedweeklyaveragednitrogendioxide(NO2)mapsforMarchandApril2020at0.05°gridspacingfromhigh-quality,cloud-freeretrievalsprovidedbyTroposphericMonitoringInstrument(TROPOMI)level2data. Duringfirstweekdayperiod(March2-6,pre-shutdown)whenCOVID-19measureswereyettobeimplemented,thelargesttroposphericNO2concentrationswereobservedinLosAngelesandborderingcountieswithalessprominentpeakinNO2aroundSanFrancisco.TheTROPOMIscansalsoresolvedareasofenhancedNO2alongtheheavilytraffickedcorridorofStateRoute99(SR-99)intheCentralValley.Asinitial,softCOVID-19measureswereadoptedbybusinessesinCaliforniaduringthesecondweekdayperiod,March9-13,TROPOMIobservedstrongreductionsintroposphericcolumnNO2aroundthelargecitiesofLosAngelesandSanFranciscoalongwithnoticeabledecreasesalongSR-99.WhenCaliforniaannouncedstatewide“shelter-in-place”ordersduringthethirdweekdayperiod,March16-20,furtherdecreasesinNO2wereapparentthroughoutallpopulatedareasinthestateandalongSR-99.FurtherweeklyareagesshowedvariabledecreasesinNO2asdecreasedeconomicactivitycontinued.Overall,theseobservedreductionsinTROPOMINO2throughoutthespringseasonaretheresultofdecreasedemissionsontopoftheseasonalchangesinmeteorologicalconditions. SoutheasternUS-ReductionsinPollutionAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 AnimatedGif-troposphericNO2fromMarch15-April15timeseriesinsoutheasternUS. Florida-ReductionsinPollutionAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 AnimatedGif-troposphericNO2fromMarch15-April15timeseriesinthestateofFlorida Lima,Peru-NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 OnJune1,theWorldHealthOrganizationnotedthatCentralandSouthAmericancountrieshavebecome“theintensezones”forCOVID-19transmission.TheOzoneMonitoringInstrument(OMI)onboardNASA’sAurasatelliteprovidesdatathatindicatethatrestrictionsonhumanactivityhaveledtoabouta36%decreaseinNO2levelsinRiodeJaneiro,Brazil,relativetopreviousyears.OtherlargecitiesinSouthAmericashowsimilardecreasesinNO2:36%inSantiago,Chile;35%inSãoPaolo,Brazil;and40%inBuenosAires,Argentina.OnenotableexceptionisinLima,Peru,showinga69%decrease.Thelargedecreasemaypartlybeassociatedwithnaturalvariationsinweatherthatcan,forinstance,disperseairpollutionmorequickly.AdditionalanalysisisrequiredtodeterminetheamountofthedecreaseofNO2inLimathatisassociatedwithadecreaseinhumanactivity.AnotableincreaseinNO2occurredinnorthernSouthAmerica,whichislikelyassociatedwithincreasedagriculturalburningin2020relativetopreviousyears. Santiago,Chili-NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 OnJune1,theWorldHealthOrganizationnotedthatCentralandSouthAmericancountrieshavebecome“theintensezones”forCOVID-19transmission.TheOzoneMonitoringInstrument(OMI)onboardNASA’sAurasatelliteprovidesdatathatindicatethatrestrictionsonhumanactivityhaveledtoabouta36%decreaseinNO2levelsinRiodeJaneiro,Brazil,relativetopreviousyears.OtherlargecitiesinSouthAmericashowsimilardecreasesinNO2:36%inSantiago,Chile;35%inSãoPaolo,Brazil;and40%inBuenosAires,Argentina.OnenotableexceptionisinLima,Peru,showinga69%decrease.Thelargedecreasemaypartlybeassociatedwithnaturalvariationsinweatherthatcan,forinstance,disperseairpollutionmorequickly.AdditionalanalysisisrequiredtodeterminetheamountofthedecreaseofNO2inLimathatisassociatedwithadecreaseinhumanactivity.AnotableincreaseinNO2occurredinnorthernSouthAmerica,whichislikelyassociatedwithincreasedagriculturalburningin2020relativetopreviousyears. BuenasAires,Argentina-NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 OnJune1,theWorldHealthOrganizationnotedthatCentralandSouthAmericancountrieshavebecome“theintensezones”forCOVID-19transmission.TheOzoneMonitoringInstrument(OMI)onboardNASA’sAurasatelliteprovidesdatathatindicatethatrestrictionsonhumanactivityhaveledtoabouta36%decreaseinNO2levelsinRiodeJaneiro,Brazil,relativetopreviousyears.OtherlargecitiesinSouthAmericashowsimilardecreasesinNO2:36%inSantiago,Chile;35%inSãoPaolo,Brazil;and40%inBuenosAires,Argentina.OnenotableexceptionisinLima,Peru,showinga69%decrease.Thelargedecreasemaypartlybeassociatedwithnaturalvariationsinweatherthatcan,forinstance,disperseairpollutionmorequickly.AdditionalanalysisisrequiredtodeterminetheamountofthedecreaseofNO2inLimathatisassociatedwithadecreaseinhumanactivity.AnotableincreaseinNO2occurredinnorthernSouthAmerica,whichislikelyassociatedwithincreasedagriculturalburningin2020relativetopreviousyears. NO2DeclineRelatedtoRestrictionsDuetoCOVID-19inSouthAmerica 2020.06.18 OnJune1,theWorldHealthOrganizationnotedthatCentralandSouthAmericancountrieshavebecome“theintensezones”forCOVID-19transmission.TheOzoneMonitoringInstrument(OMI)onboardNASA’sAurasatelliteprovidesdatathatindicatethatrestrictionsonhumanactivityhaveledtoabouta36%decreaseinNO2levelsinRiodeJaneiro,Brazil,relativetopreviousyears.OtherlargecitiesinSouthAmericashowsimilardecreasesinNO2:36%inSantiago,Chile;35%inSãoPaolo,Brazil;and40%inBuenosAires,Argentina.OnenotableexceptionisinLima,Peru,showinga69%decrease.Thelargedecreasemaypartlybeassociatedwithnaturalvariationsinweatherthatcan,forinstance,disperseairpollutionmorequickly.AdditionalanalysisisrequiredtodeterminetheamountofthedecreaseofNO2inLimathatisassociatedwithadecreaseinhumanactivity.AnotableincreaseinNO2occurredinnorthernSouthAmerica,whichislikelyassociatedwithincreasedagriculturalburningin2020relativetopreviousyears. DeviationofModeledNormalPollutionLevelsfromMeasurementsFollowingCOVID-19Lockdown 2020.11.17 UsingcomputermodelstogenerateaCOVID-free2020forcomparison,NASAresearchersfoundthatsinceFebruary,pandemicrestrictionshavereducedglobalnitrogendioxideconcentrationsbynearly20%. ThemodelsimulationandmachinelearninganalysistookplaceattheNASACenterforClimateSimulation.Its“businessasusual”scenarioshowedanalternaterealityversionof2020—onethatdidnotexperienceanyunexpectedchangesinhumanbehaviorbroughtonbythepandemic. Fromthereitissimplesubtraction.Thedifferencebetweenthemodelsimulatedvaluesandthemeasuredgroundobservationsrepresentsthechangeinemissionsduetothepandemicresponse.Theresearchersreceiveddatafrom46countries—atotalof5,756observationsitesontheground—relayinghourlyatmosphericcompositionmeasurementsinnear-realtime.Onacity-level,50ofthe61analyzedcitiesshownitrogendioxidereductionsbetween20-50%. Wuhan,ChinawasthefirstmunicipalityreportinganoutbreakofCOVID-19.Itwasalsothefirsttoshowreducednitrogendioxideemissions—60%lowerthansimulatedvaluesexpected.A60%decreaseinMilananda45%decreaseinNewYorkfollowedshortly,astheirlocalrestrictionswentintoeffect. Thisvisualizationpresentsthedeviationfromthemodelascoloredhemispheresateachobservationsite.Whetherasiteisunderlockdownisdenotedbyasmallerdotateachsite,coloredgreytodenote"nolockdown,"andgreentodenote"underlockdown."Additionally,thedeviationforeachofthreecities,Wuhan,Madrid,andNewYorkispresentedasascrollinglinegraphatthetopofthevisualization. AirQuality-SulfurDioxideMeasurementChangesrelatedtoCOVID-19 India-ReductionsinSulfurDioxideAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 SulfurDioxide2018Update 2019.02.12 India-ReductionsinSulfurDioxideAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 SulfurDioxide2018Update 2019.02.12 India-ReductionsinSulfurDioxideAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 SulfurDioxide2018Update 2019.02.12 India-ReductionsinSulfurDioxideAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 SulfurDioxide2018Update 2019.02.12 India-ReductionsinSulfurDioxideAssociatedwithDecreasedFossilFuelUseResultingfromCOVID-19Mitigation 2020.04.24 AnimatedGif-TroposphericSO2Column,March25-April25timeseriesofIndianSubcontinent.OnMarch24,2020,PrimeMinisterModiorderedanationwidestay-at-homeorderforIndia’s1.3billioncitizensinanattempttoslowthespreadofCOVID-19. SulfurDioxide2018Update 2019.02.12 Sulfurdioxideisanatmosphericpollutantthatposesthreatstobothhumanhealthandtheenvironment.Highconcentrationsofsulfurdioxideirritatetheeyes,nose,andlungs,andcanresultintemporarybreathingimpairment.Itisalsoaprecursortosulfuricacid,amajorconstituentofacidrain. Thisvisualization,createdusingdatafromtheOzoneMonitoringInstrument(OMI)onboardNASA’sAurasatellite,showsannual,averagechangesinsulfurdioxideconcentrationsfrom2005to2017.Sulfurdioxideconcentrationsfromvolcanic(i.e.,natural)sourceshavebeenremoved. Sulfurdioxideisproducedbythecombustionofcoal,fueloil,andgasoline(sincethesefuelscontainsulfur),andintheoxidationofnaturallyoccurringsulfurgases,suchasinvolcaniceruptions.Thelargestsourceofsulfurdioxideintheatmosphereistheburningoffossilfuelsbypowerplantsandotherindustrialfacilities.Nationalandregionalrulestoreduceemissionsofsulfurdioxidecanimproveairquality. AdditionalResources EarthDay2020:GlobalAtmosphericMethane 2020.04.21 NASAModelstheComplexChemistryofEarth'sAtmosphere 2020.04.14 GlobalTransportofSmokefromAustralianBushfires 2020.03.30 GlobalAtmosphericMethane 2020.03.23 SulfurDioxide2018Update 2019.02.12 2005-2016USANO2HyperwallShow 2018.08.27 NASAImagesShowHumanFingerprintonGlobalAirQuality–ReleaseMaterials 2015.12.17 EarthObservingFleet(December2019) 2019.12.06 EarthatNightImagery Gallery EarthDay2020:GlobalAtmosphericMethane 2020.04.21 NASAModelstheComplexChemistryofEarth'sAtmosphere 2020.04.14 GlobalTransportofSmokefromAustralianBushfires 2020.03.30 GlobalAtmosphericMethane 2020.03.23 SulfurDioxide2018Update 2019.02.12 2005-2016USANO2HyperwallShow 2018.08.27 NASAImagesShowHumanFingerprintonGlobalAirQuality–ReleaseMaterials 2015.12.17 EarthObservingFleet(December2019) 2019.12.06 EarthatNightImagery Gallery EarthDay2020:GlobalAtmosphericMethane 2020.04.21 NASAModelstheComplexChemistryofEarth'sAtmosphere 2020.04.14 GlobalTransportofSmokefromAustralianBushfires 2020.03.30 GlobalAtmosphericMethane 2020.03.23 SulfurDioxide2018Update 2019.02.12 2005-2016USANO2HyperwallShow 2018.08.27 NASAImagesShowHumanFingerprintonGlobalAirQuality–ReleaseMaterials 2015.12.17 EarthObservingFleet(December2019) 2019.12.06 EarthatNightImagery Gallery EarthDay2020:GlobalAtmosphericMethane 2020.04.21 NASAModelstheComplexChemistryofEarth'sAtmosphere 2020.04.14 GlobalTransportofSmokefromAustralianBushfires 2020.03.30 GlobalAtmosphericMethane 2020.03.23 SulfurDioxide2018Update 2019.02.12 2005-2016USANO2HyperwallShow 2018.08.27 NASAImagesShowHumanFingerprintonGlobalAirQuality–ReleaseMaterials 2015.12.17 EarthObservingFleet(December2019) 2019.12.06 EarthatNightImagery Gallery EarthDay2020:GlobalAtmosphericMethane 2020.04.21 Methaneisapowerfulgreenhousegasthattrapsheat28timesmoreeffectivelythancarbondioxideovera100-yeartimescale.Concentrationsofmethanehaveincreasedbymorethan150%sinceindustrialactivitiesandintensiveagriculturebegan.Aftercarbondioxide,methaneisresponsibleforabout20%ofclimatechangeinthetwentiethcentury.Methaneisproducedunderconditionswherelittletonooxygenisavailable.About30%ofmethaneemissionsareproducedbywetlands,includingponds,lakesandrivers.Another20%isproducedbyagriculture,duetoacombinationoflivestock,wastemanagementandricecultivation.Activitiesrelatedtooil,gas,andcoalextractionreleaseanadditional30%.Theremainderofmethaneemissionscomefromminorsourcessuchaswildfire,biomassburning,permafrost,termites,dams,andtheocean.Scientistsaroundtheworldareworkingtobetterunderstandthebudgetofmethanewiththeultimategoalsofreducinggreenhousegasemissionsandimprovingpredictionofenvironmentalchange.Foradditionalinformation,seetheGlobalMethaneBudget. TheNASASVSvisualizationpresentedhereshowsthecomplexpatternsofmethaneemissionsproducedaroundtheglobeandthroughouttheyearfromthedifferentsourcesdescribedabove.ThevisualizationwascreatedusingoutputfromtheGlobalModelingandAssimilationOffice,GMAO,GEOSmodelingsystem,developedandmaintainedbyscientistsatNASA.WetlandemissionswereestimatedbytheLPJ-wsldynamicglobalvegetationmodel,whichsimulatesthetemperatureandmoisturedependentmethaneemissionprocessesusingavarietyofsatellitedatatodeterminewhatpartsoftheglobearecoveredbywetlands.Othermethaneemissionsourcescomefrominventoriesofhumanactivity.TheheightofEarth’satmosphereandtopographyhavebeenverticallyexaggeratedandappearapproximately50-timeshigherthannormalinordertoshowthecomplexityoftheatmosphericflowwhilethebathymetrybelowsealevelisexaggeratedby11.6-times. Outflowfromdifferentregionsresultfromdifferentsources.Forexample,highmethaneconcentrationsoverSouthAmericaaredrivenbywetlandemissionswhileoverAsia,emissionsreflectamixofagriculturalandindustrialactivities.Emissionsaretransportedthroughtheatmosphereasweathersystemsmoveandmixmethanearoundtheglobe.Intheatmosphere,methaneiseventuallyremovedbyreactivegasesthatconvertittocarbondioxide.Understandingthethree-dimensionaldistributionofmethaneisimportantforNASAscientistsplanningobservationsthatsampletheatmosphereinverydifferentways.SatelliteslikeGeoCarb,aplannedgeostationarymissiontoobservebothcarbondioxideandmethane,lookdownfromspaceandwillestimatethetotalnumberofmethanemoleculesinacolumnofair.Aircraft,likethoselaunchedduringNASA’sArcticBorealVulnerabilityExperiment(ABOVE)sampletheatmospherealongveryspecificflightlines,providingadditionaldetailsabouttheprocessescontrollingmethaneemissionsathighlatitudes.Atmosphericmodelshelpplacethesedifferenttypesofmeasurementsincontextsothatscientistscanrefineestimatesofsourcesandsinks,understandtheprocessescontrollingthemandreduceuncertaintyinfutureprojectionsofcarbon-climatefeedbacks. NASAModelstheComplexChemistryofEarth'sAtmosphere 2020.04.14 Airpollutioncanappearasagrayororangehazeenvelopingacity.Whatthenakedeyecan’tseearethehundredsofchemicalreactionstakingplacetoproducethatpollution.NASAsciencecanrevealamorecompletepictureofatmosphericchemistry. ANASAvisualizationshows96chemicalspeciesthathelpformonecommonairpollutant—surfaceozone.Whileozoneinthestratosphereiscriticaltomaintaininglifeonearth,surfaceozoneisatoxicgastomostplantandanimalspecies.ThisvisualizationusestheGEOSCompositionForecasting(GEOS-CF)computermodel,whichincorporates240chemicalspeciesandhowtheyinteractwitheachotherandtheweatherthroughover700chemicalreactions.Allofthesechemicalreactionsdirectlyorindirectlyimpacttheformationofozone. Capturingsuchcomplexityrequiressatellites,theGEOS-CFmodel,andasupercomputerallworkinginconcert.Asthevisualizationprogresses,itcyclesthroughchemicalslooselygroupedintoseven‘families’basedontheirphysicalandchemicalproperties: • Ox • ExtendedHOxfamily • Hydrocarbons • Isopreneoxidation • Aerosols • Halogens • ExtendedNOxfamily Moreinformationoneachfamilycanbefoundonthevisualizationwebpage. Thedynamicbehaviorofsomeofthesechemicalspeciescanindicatecertaineventsintheatmosphere.ThemodelcoversthetimeperiodfromJuly22,2018toOctober2,2018,whichincludesseveralnotableatmosphericevents.BoththeCarrFireandtheMendocinoComplexFire,occurringinlateJuly2018,releasedalargeamountofhydrocarbonsandextendedHOx,whichcanbeseeninthemodel.Thelatter-occurringHurricaneFlorenceisalsovisible,asindicatedbytheimpactedhalogensinthisatmosphericmodel. Satellitesobservechemicalspeciesintheatmosphere,boththoseemittedfromnaturalandhumansourcesandthoseformedfromotherpollutants.Yet,evenseveralhundredthousandobservationsadayleavedatagaps.MergingsatellitedatawithNASA’sGEOS-CFmodelyieldsnotonlyasnapshotofchemistrythroughouttheatmosphereatanygiventimebutalsotheabilitytopredictairqualityworldwide. Thismodelmakesa5-dayforecastdailyusingtheNASACenterforClimateSimulation’sDiscoversupercomputer.Developedjointlywithseveralgovernmentandnon-profitpartners,theseforecastsofferanewtoolforacademicresearchers,governmentscientists,airqualitymanagers,andthegeneralpublic.Potentialapplicationsincludeflightcampaignplanning,supportofsatelliteobservations,andmitigationofairpollution. GlobalTransportofSmokefromAustralianBushfires 2020.03.30 Thisvisualizationshowstheglobaldistributionofaerosols,generatedbyNASA’sGEOS-FPdataassimilationsystem,fromAugust1,2019toJanuary14,2020—capturingtheaerosolsreleasedbytheextremebushfiresinAustraliainDecember2019andJanuary2020andhowtheyaretransportedaroundtheglobeovertheSouthPacificOcean. Differentaerosolspeciesarehighlightedbycolor,includingdust(orange),sea-salt(blue),nitrates(pink),sulfates(green),andcarbon(red),withbrighterregionscorrespondingtohigheraerosolamounts.NASA'sMODISobservationsconstrainregionswithbiomassburningaswellastheaerosolopticaldepthsinGEOS,capturingtheprominentbushfiresinAustraliaandtransportofemittedaerosolswelldownstreamovertheSouthPacificOcean.WeathereventsincludingHurricaneDorianinAugust–September2019andothertropicalcyclonesaroundtheworld,alongwithmajorfireeventsinSouthAmericaandIndonesiainAugust-September2019arealsoshown. ThelocalimpactsoftheAustralianbushfireshavebeendevastatingtopropertyandlifeinAustraliawhileproducingextremeairqualityimpactsthroughouttheregion.Assmokefromthemassivefireshasinteractedwiththeglobalweather,thetransportofsmokeplumesaroundtheglobalhaveacceleratedthroughdeepverticaltransportintotheuppertroposphereandeventhelowermoststratosphere,leadingtolong-rangetransportaroundtheglobe. GlobalAtmosphericMethane 2020.03.23 Methaneisapowerfulgreenhousegasthattrapsheat28timesmoreeffectivelythancarbondioxideovera100-yeartimescale.Concentrationsofmethanehaveincreasedbymorethan150%sinceindustrialactivitiesandintensiveagriculturebegan.Aftercarbondioxide,methaneisresponsibleforabout20%ofclimatechangeinthetwentiethcentury.Methaneisproducedunderconditionswherelittletonooxygenisavailable.About30%ofmethaneemissionsareproducedbywetlands,includingponds,lakesandrivers.Another20%isproducedbyagriculture,duetoacombinationoflivestock,wastemanagementandricecultivation.Activitiesrelatedtooil,gas,andcoalextractionreleaseanadditional30%.Theremainderofmethaneemissionscomefromminorsourcessuchaswildfire,biomassburning,permafrost,termites,dams,andtheocean.Scientistsaroundtheworldareworkingtobetterunderstandthebudgetofmethanewiththeultimategoalsofreducinggreenhousegasemissionsandimprovingpredictionofenvironmentalchange.Foradditionalinformation,seetheGlobalMethaneBudget. TheNASASVSvisualizationpresentedhereshowsthecomplexpatternsofmethaneemissionsproducedaroundtheglobeandthroughouttheyearfromthedifferentsourcesdescribedabove.ThevisualizationwascreatedusingoutputfromtheGlobalModelingandAssimilationOffice,GMAO,GEOSmodelingsystem,developedandmaintainedbyscientistsatNASA.WetlandemissionswereestimatedbytheLPJ-wslmodel,whichsimulatesthetemperatureandmoisturedependentmethaneemissionprocessesusingavarietyofsatellitedatatodeterminewhatpartsoftheglobearecoveredbywetlands.Othermethaneemissionsourcescomefrominventoriesofhumanactivity.TheheightofEarth’satmosphereandtopographyhavebeenverticallyexaggeratedandappearapproximately50-timeshigherthannormalinordertoshowthecomplexityoftheatmosphericflow. Asthevisualizationprogresses,outflowfromdifferentsourceregionsishighlighted.Forexample,highmethaneconcentrationsoverSouthAmericaaredrivenbywetlandemissionswhileoverAsia,emissionsreflectamixofagriculturalandindustrialactivities.Emissionsaretransportedthroughtheatmosphereasweathersystemsmoveandmixmethanearoundtheglobe.Intheatmosphere,methaneiseventuallyremovedbyreactivegasesthatconvertittocarbondioxide.Understandingthethree-dimensionaldistributionofmethaneisimportantforNASAscientistsplanningobservationsthatsampletheatmosphereinverydifferentways.SatelliteslikeGeoCarb,aplannedgeostationarymissiontoobservebothcarbondioxideandmethane,lookdownfromspaceandwillestimatethetotalnumberofmethanemoleculesinacolumnofair.Aircraft,likethoselaunchedduringNASA’sArcticBorealVulnerabilityExperiment(ABOVE)sampletheatmospherealongveryspecificflightlines,providingadditionaldetailsabouttheprocessescontrollingmethaneemissionsathighlatitudes.Atmosphericmodelshelpplacethesedifferenttypesofmeasurementsincontextsothatscientistscanrefineestimatesofsourcesandsinks,understandtheprocessescontrollingthemandreduceuncertaintyinfutureprojectionsofcarbon-climatefeedbacks. SulfurDioxide2018Update 2019.02.12 Sulfurdioxideisanatmosphericpollutantthatposesthreatstobothhumanhealthandtheenvironment.Highconcentrationsofsulfurdioxideirritatetheeyes,nose,andlungs,andcanresultintemporarybreathingimpairment.Itisalsoaprecursortosulfuricacid,amajorconstituentofacidrain. Thisvisualization,createdusingdatafromtheOzoneMonitoringInstrument(OMI)onboardNASA’sAurasatellite,showsannual,averagechangesinsulfurdioxideconcentrationsfrom2005to2017.Sulfurdioxideconcentrationsfromvolcanic(i.e.,natural)sourceshavebeenremoved. Sulfurdioxideisproducedbythecombustionofcoal,fueloil,andgasoline(sincethesefuelscontainsulfur),andintheoxidationofnaturallyoccurringsulfurgases,suchasinvolcaniceruptions.Thelargestsourceofsulfurdioxideintheatmosphereistheburningoffossilfuelsbypowerplantsandotherindustrialfacilities.Nationalandregionalrulestoreduceemissionsofsulfurdioxidecanimproveairquality. 2005-2016USANO2HyperwallShow 2018.08.27 AnhyperwallshowofOMINO2overtheUnitedStates,updatedusing2016data.Forcontextandadditionalinformation:NASAImagesShowHumanFingerprintonGlobalAirQuality NASAImagesShowHumanFingerprintonGlobalAirQuality–ReleaseMaterials 2015.12.17 Usingnew,high-resolutionglobalsatellitemapsofairqualityindicators,NASAscientiststrackedairpollutiontrendsoverthelastdecadeinvariousregionsand195citiesaroundtheglobe.AccordingtorecentNASAresearchfindings,theUnitedStates,EuropeandJapanhaveimprovedairqualitythankstoemissioncontrolregulations,whileChina,IndiaandtheMiddleEast,withtheirfast-growingeconomiesandexpandingindustry,haveseenmoreairpollution.Scientistsexaminedobservationsmadefrom2005to2014bytheOzoneMonitoringInstrumentaboardNASA'sAurasatellite.Oneoftheatmosphericgasestheinstrumentdetectsisnitrogendioxide,ayellow-browngasthatisacommonemissionfromcars,powerplantsandindustrialactivity.Nitrogendioxidecanquicklytransformintoground-levelozone,amajorrespiratorypollutantinurbansmog.Nitrogendioxidehotspots,usedasanindicatorofgeneralairquality,occurovermostmajorcitiesindevelopedanddevelopingnations. Thefollowingvisualizationsincludetwotypesofdata.Theabsoluteconcentrationsshowtheconcentrationoftroposphericnitrogendioxide,withblueandgreencolorsdenotinglowerconcentrationsandorangeandredareasindicatinghigherconcentrations. Thesecondtypeofdataisthetrenddatafrom2005to2014,whichshowstheobservedchangeinconcentrationovertheten-yearperiod.Blueindicatedanobserveddecreaseinnitrogendioxide,andorangeindicatesanobservedincrease.Pleasenotethattherangeonthecolorbars(textisinwhite)changesfromlocationtolocationinordertohighlightfeaturesseeninthedifferentgeographicregions. EarthObservingFleet(December2019) 2019.12.06 ThisanimationshowstheorbitsofNASA'sfleetofEarthobservingspacecraftthatareconsideredoperationalasofDecember2019.ThecloudsusedinthisversionarefromahighresolutionGEOSmodelrunat10minutetimestepsinterpolateddowntotheper-framelevel. Changestothisversioninclude:removalofJason-2andJason-3andthecameradoesnotshowDSCOVRwithinitsview. Spacecraftincluded: Aqua Aura CALIPSO:Cloud-AerosolLidarandInfraredPathfinderSatelliteObservation CYGNSS-1:CycloneGlobalNavigationSatelliteSystem1 CYGNSS-2:CycloneGlobalNavigationSatelliteSystem2 CYGNSS-3:CycloneGlobalNavigationSatelliteSystem3 CYGNSS-4:CycloneGlobalNavigationSatelliteSystem4 CYNGSS-5:CycloneGlobalNavigationSatelliteSystem5 CYGNSS-6:CycloneGlobalNavigationSatelliteSystem6 CYGNSS-7:CycloneGlobalNavigationSatelliteSystem7 CYGNSS-8:CycloneGlobalNavigationSatelliteSystem8 Cloudsat GPM:GlobalPrecipitationMeasurement GRACE-FO-1:GravityRecoveryandClimateExperimentFollowOn-1 GRACE-FO-2:GravityRecoveryandClimateExperimentFollowOn-2 ICESat-2 ISS:InternationalSpaceStation Landsat7 Landsat8 OCO-2:OrbitingCarbonObservatory-2 SMAP:SoilMoisturePassiveActive SORCE:SolarRadiationandClimateExperiment SuomiNPP:SuomiNationalPolar-orbitingPartnership Terra EarthatNightImagery Gallery Dazzlingphotographsandimagesfromspaceofourplanet’snightlightshavecaptivatedpublicattentionfordecades.Insuchimages,patternsareimmediatelyseenbasedonthepresenceorabsenceoflight:adistinctcoastline,bodiesofwaterrecognizablebytheirdarksilhouettes,andthefainttendrilsofroadsandhighwaysemanatingfromthebrilliantblobsoflightthatareourmodern,well-litcities. Fornearly25years,satelliteimagesofEarthatnighthaveservedasafundamentalresearchtool,whilealsostokingpubliccuriosity.Theseimagespaintanexpansiveandrevealingpicture,showinghownaturalphenomenalightupthedarknessandhowhumanshaveilluminatedandshapedtheplanetinprofoundwayssincetheinventionofthelightbulb140yearsago.