Air Quality Mapping

Air Quality Mapping creates geospatial representations of atmospheric pollutant concentrations across geographic areas, revealing where air quality exceeds health standards and which populations are most exposed. Key pollutants mapped include particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide, each with distinct sources, transport characteristics, and health effects. Mapping methods combine ground-based monitoring station measurements, satellite remote sensingRemote SensingRemote sensing is the science of collecting data about Earth's surface without direct physical contact, primarily usi... observations from instruments like TROPOMI and MODIS, land use regression models that predict pollution based on proximity to roads and industrial sources, and atmospheric dispersion models that simulate how emissions spread through the environment. GISGISGeographic Information Systems (GIS) enable users to analyze and visualize spatial data to uncover patterns, relation... integrates these data sources to produce high-resolution pollution surfaces that reveal intra-urban variability missed by sparse monitoring networks. Applications include environmental justice analysis that identifies communities disproportionately burdened by poor air quality, health impact assessment that quantifies disease burden attributable to air pollution exposure, land use planningLand Use PlanningLand Use Planning is the systematic process of evaluating and allocating land resources to meet community needs for h... that establishes buffers between pollution sources and sensitive populations, and regulatory compliance monitoring for Clean Air Act standards. Real-time air quality mapping from low-cost sensor networks supports public health advisories and individual exposure reduction. Climate action plans use air quality co-benefits to build support for emissions reduction strategies.