DISCOVER-AQ California: Aircraft Remote Sensing Data for Air Quality

NASA's DISCOVER-AQ campaign collected remotely sensed atmospheric data using the Airborne Compact Atmospheric Mapper (ACAM) onboard a B-200 aircraft during its California deployment in 2013. The data aims to validate satellite observations of near-surface pollution by providing crucial surface-level measurements from aircraft. The campaign was a four-year collaboration between NASA research centers and universities to improve satellite monitoring of air quality for public health.

Use Cases

• Validate satellite column observations of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and formaldehyde based on aircraft remote sensing data.
• Analyze diurnal variability of atmospheric pollutants based on surface-level measurements.
• Study horizontal scales of variability, such as urban plumes and steep gradients, in the San Joaquin Valley.
• Diagnose ground-level conditions influencing air quality based on targeted airborne observations.

Strengths

• Data collection is complete for the California deployment.
• Campaign involved collaboration between multiple NASA research centers and universities.
• Data collection targeted regions violating National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is specific to the 2013 California deployment, limiting broader geographic analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Remotely sensed data collected by the Airborne Compact Atmospheric Mapper (ACAM) onboard NASA's B-200 aircraft.

Time Range

2013 (California deployment)

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 03:15:16.844765; freshness should be verified.

Geography

San Joaquin Valley, California, USA