Satellites have been collecting petabytes of data on atmospheric composition since 1979, yet there is limited use of this data in informing air quality policy. Here we reduce barriers to its use by policymakers by developing a tool to convert large and cumbersome satellite observations of atmospheric composition into useful information about air quality in cities throughout the world. This provides vital information about the efficacy of policies and impact of their absence on air pollution that is impossible to obtain even in cities where there is a dense monitoring network.

Video shown at INTERGEO Expo and Conference in Stuttgart in September 2019 (no audio)

People: Karn Vohra

Funding: University of Birmingham PhD studentship awarded to Karn, NERC-funded EPSRC Researcher In Residence Award and Copernicus Masters Finalist awarded to Eloise

Project Logo:

External Collaborators: Satellite Applications Catapult, Connected Places Catapult, William Bloss, Louisa Kramer

Tools: OMI, IASI, MODIS, TROPOMI

References:

K. Vohra, E. A. Marais, S. Suckra, L. Kramer, W. J. Bloss, R. Sahu, A. Gaur, S. N. Tripathi, M. Van Damme, L. Clarisse, P. F. Coheur, Long-term trends in air quality in major cities in the UK and India: A view from space, in review, Atmos. Chem. Phys. Disc. [PDF]