DISCOVER-AQ: EPA Ground Site Air Quality Measurements for Texas Deployment

Environmental Protection Agency ground site data collected in LaPorte, Smith Point, and Texas Avenue during NASA's 2013 DISCOVER-AQ Texas deployment. The dataset contains surface-level measurements of pollutants like ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and formaldehyde, intended to validate and improve satellite-based air quality monitoring. Data collection is complete for this specific deployment, which was part of a four-year campaign involving NASA research centers and universities.

Use Cases

• Validate satellite column observations of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and formaldehyde based on concurrent ground measurements.
• Analyze diurnal variability of near-surface pollutants based on surface-level measurement campaigns.
• Investigate horizontal pollution gradients and urban plumes in the Houston area based on multi-site ground data.
• Diagnose ground-level conditions influencing air quality by integrating aircraft and ground-based platform data.

Strengths

• Data collection is explicitly stated as complete for the Texas deployment.
• Part of a targeted four-year NASA campaign (DISCOVER-AQ) involving multiple aircraft and ground sites.
• Focuses on key trace gases (ozone, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde) relevant to 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 Texas deployment; temporal and geographic scope is limited.

Provenance

Source

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Collection Method

Collected at EPA ground monitoring sites in conjunction with NASA aircraft during the DISCOVER-AQ field campaign.

Time Range

2013 (Texas deployment).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 03:13:18.141892; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Ground sites around Houston, Texas, including LaPorte, Smith Point, and Texas Avenue.