DISCOVER-AQ Colorado Deployment: B-200 Aircraft Meteorological and Navigational Data

Colorado (Denver) deployment data from NASA's DISCOVER-AQ campaign contains in situ meteorological and navigational measurements collected onboard the B-200 aircraft. The data was gathered during a four-year field study conducted by NASA Langley, Goddard, and Ames Research Centers with multiple universities to improve satellite monitoring of air quality. Data collection is complete for the Colorado deployment.

Use Cases

• Validate satellite column observations of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and formaldehyde based on in situ aircraft measurements.
• Analyze diurnal variability of air pollutants based on surface-level and aircraft measurements.
• Study horizontal scales of variability, such as urban plumes and steep gradients, based on navigational and meteorological data.
• Diagnose factors influencing near-surface pollution based on combined aircraft and ground-based observations.

Strengths

• Data collection is complete for the Colorado deployment, providing a finalized dataset.
• Data originates from a targeted NASA field campaign involving multiple research centers and universities.
• Campaign targeted regions in violation of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), ensuring relevance to public health.

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 Colorado deployment; other regional deployments are separate datasets.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

In situ data collected onboard NASA's B-200 aircraft via APPLANIX navigation system during targeted flights.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 03:22:02.869021; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Colorado (Denver) deployment region.