DISCOVER-AQ: Ground Site Air Quality Measurements from Houston Deployment

NASA's DISCOVER-AQ campaign collected ground-based atmospheric data at the Moody Tower site in Houston, Texas, during a 2013 deployment. The data likely contains measurements of trace gases, aerosols, and meteorological variables to validate satellite observations of near-surface pollution. The campaign was a four-year collaboration between NASA research centers and universities, with data collection now complete for this site.

Use Cases

• Validate satellite column observations of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and formaldehyde based on concurrent surface measurements.
• Analyze diurnal variability of pollutants based on surface-level time-series data.
• Investigate correlations between aircraft remote sensing data and ground-based in-situ measurements.
• Study horizontal variability and urban plumes in a region violating air quality standards.

Strengths

• Data collection is complete for the Texas deployment, as stated in the description.
• Part of a targeted four-year NASA campaign involving coordinated aircraft and ground platforms.
• Focuses on regions in violation of National Ambient Air Quality Standards, providing relevant environmental data.

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 a single ground site and a 2013 deployment, limiting geographic and temporal scope.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected via ground-based monitoring site during the DISCOVER-AQ field campaign, coordinated with aircraft overflights.

Time Range

2013 (Texas/Houston deployment).

Freshness

Last updated 2026 03 13 03:12:56.692884; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Houston, Texas, United States.