DISCOVER-AQ Texas Deployment Analysis and Ancillary Ground Site Data

DISCOVERAQ_Texas_Ground_Analysis_Ancillary_Data contains data collected at ancillary ground sites during the Texas (Houston) deployment of NASA's DISCOVER-AQ field study. This data product contains data for only the Texas deployment and data collection is complete.Understanding the factors that contribute to near surface pollution is difficult using only satellite-based observations. The incorporation of surface-level measurements from aircraft and ground-based platforms provides the crucial information necessary to validate and expand upon the use of satellites in understanding near surface pollution. Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER-AQ) was a four-year campaign conducted in collaboration between NASA Langley Research Center, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Ames Research Center, and multiple universities to improve the use of satellites to monitor air quality for public health and environmental benefit. Through targeted airborne and ground-based observations, DISCOVER-AQ enabled more effective use of current and future satellites to diagnose ground level conditions influencing air quality.DISCOVER-AQ employed two NASA aircraft, the P3-B and King Air, with the P-3B completing in-situ spiral profiling of the atmosphere (aerosol properties, meteorological variables, and trace gas species). The King Air conducted both passive and active remote sensing of the atmospheric column extending below the aircraft to the surface. Data from an existing network of surface air quality monitors, AERONET sun photometers, Pandora UV/vis spectrometers and model simulations were also collected. Further, DISCOVER-AQ employed many surface monitoring sites, with measurements being made on the ground, in conjunction with the aircraft. The B200 and P-3B conducted flights in Baltimore-Washington, D.C. in 2011, Houston, TX in 2013, San Joaquin Valley, CA in 2013, and Denver, CO in 2014. These regions were targeted due to being in violation of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).The first objective of DISCOVER-AQ was to determine and investigate correlations between surface measurements and satellite column observations for the trace gases ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and formaldehyde (CH2O) to understand how satellite column observations can diagnose surface conditions. DISCOVER-AQ also had the objective of using surface-level measurements to understand how satellites measure diurnal variability and to understand what factors control diurnal variability. Lastly, DISCOVER-AQ aimed to explore horizontal scales of variability, such as regions with steep gradients and urban plumes.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Maintainer Earthdata Forum
Last Updated April 7, 2025, 19:02 (UTC)
Created March 20, 2025, 15:36 (UTC)
accessLevel public
bureauCode {026:00}
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harvest_object_id 2d141dfd-b12e-48d5-9d8f-4d8b588040ff
harvest_source_id 44069cc8-d515-495f-9ea4-b67f76a0a7cb
harvest_source_title Science Discovery Engine
identifier 10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/DISCOVERAQ_Texas_Ground_Ancillary_Analysis_Data_1
modified 2025-04-07T16:41:35Z
programCode {026:000}
publisher NASA/LARC/SD/ASDC
resource-type Dataset
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source_hash a21f966548342af6602f5c34a89d6cebb8ddb49a08608593e14d7b6f5d147a8d
source_schema_version 1.1
spatial ["CARTESIAN",[{"Boundary":{"Points":[{"Latitude":23,"Longitude":-110},{"Latitude":23,"Longitude":-70},{"Latitude":43,"Longitude":-70},{"Latitude":43,"Longitude":-110},{"Latitude":23,"Longitude":-110}]}}]], Maximum Altitude, 70 m
theme {"Earth Science"}