How effective is satellite data in capturing human health-relevant air pollution at the surface?
Does satellite data reflect human exposure?
- Thread starter Jennifer McGinnis
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One key difference between satellite air pollution data and ground monitors is that while monitors directly measure air pollutant concentrations at the surface, satellite instruments take measurements of the entire atmospheric column. Thus, satellite data is not a direct measure of air pollution at the surface, the metric most relevant for human health impacts. Furthermore, conditions such as cloud cover and reflective land surfaces prevents satellite instruments from capturing pollutant concentrations. In light of these limitations, many studies in the literature have analyzed the relationship between satellite-derived and surface measurements of air pollutants. Satellite data generally performs well in capturing surface air quality trends at regional scales and averaged over monthly to annual timeframes. Recent satellite data products are also able to capture emissions plumes from larger point sources such as coal power plants and mines. However, satellite data does not perform well for finer-scale air pollutant distributions, such as from small point sources and near-road emissions.
- Eliot Kim
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