DISCOVER-AQ: Ship-Based Air Quality Measurements for Maryland Deployment

DISCOVER-AQ_Maryland_Ship_NOAA-DelawareII_Data contains measurements from a NOAA research ship during the 2011 Baltimore-Washington deployment of NASA's DISCOVER-AQ field study. The data product includes micro pulse lidar (MPL), ozone, and nitrogen oxides measurements, collected to validate and improve satellite-based air quality monitoring. The campaign was a four-year collaboration between NASA research centers and universities, targeting regions in violation of National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

Use Cases

• Validate satellite column observations of ozone and nitrogen dioxide using surface-level ship measurements.
• Analyze vertical aerosol profiles based on micro pulse lidar (MPL) backscatter data.
• Study diurnal variability of near-surface pollution factors mentioned in the campaign objectives.
• Investigate correlations between surface measurements and satellite data for trace gases like formaldehyde.

Strengths

• Data collection is described as complete for the Maryland deployment.
• Includes measurements from multiple instruments (MPL, ozone, nitrogen oxides) for a multi-faceted view.
• Part of a targeted, multi-platform campaign (aircraft, ground sites, ships) designed for validation.

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 2011 Maryland deployment, limiting geographic and temporal scope.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected onboard the NOAA Delaware II Ship during the DISCOVER-AQ field campaign.

Time Range

2011 (Maryland deployment)

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03 03:14:03.245784; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Baltimore-Washington, D.C. region, USA