Earth
ID: 4179
Anyone living in the U.S. for the past decade may have noticed a change in the air. The change is apparent in NASA satellite images that demonstrate the country's reduction of air pollution, or more specifically, nitrogen dioxide.
Nitrogen dioxide can impact the respiratory system, and it also contributes to the formation of other pollutants including ground-level ozone and particulates. The gas is produced primarily during the combustion of gasoline in vehicle engines and coal in power plants. Air pollution has decreased even though population and the number of cars on the roads have increased. The shift is the result of regulations, technology improvements and economic changes, scientists say.
This visualization shows tropospheric column concentrations of nitrogen dioxide as detected by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument on NASA's Aura satellite, averaged yearly from 2005-2011. Blue and green denote lower concentrations and orange and red areas denote higher concentrations, ranging from 1e+15 to 5e+15 molecules per square centimeter, respectively.
US Air Quality
Nitrogen dioxide can impact the respiratory system, and it also contributes to the formation of other pollutants including ground-level ozone and particulates. The gas is produced primarily during the combustion of gasoline in vehicle engines and coal in power plants. Air pollution has decreased even though population and the number of cars on the roads have increased. The shift is the result of regulations, technology improvements and economic changes, scientists say.
This visualization shows tropospheric column concentrations of nitrogen dioxide as detected by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument on NASA's Aura satellite, averaged yearly from 2005-2011. Blue and green denote lower concentrations and orange and red areas denote higher concentrations, ranging from 1e+15 to 5e+15 molecules per square centimeter, respectively.
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Visualization Credits
Trent L. Schindler (USRA): Lead Animator
Kayvon Sharghi (USRA): Producer
Bryan Duncan (NASA/GSFC): Scientist
Lok Lamsal (USRA): Scientist
Yasuko Yoshida (SSAI): Scientist
Kathryn Hansen (SSAI): Writer
Laurence Schuler (ADNET Systems, Inc.): Project Support
Ian Jones (ADNET Systems, Inc.): Project Support
Kayvon Sharghi (USRA): Producer
Bryan Duncan (NASA/GSFC): Scientist
Lok Lamsal (USRA): Scientist
Yasuko Yoshida (SSAI): Scientist
Kathryn Hansen (SSAI): Writer
Laurence Schuler (ADNET Systems, Inc.): Project Support
Ian Jones (ADNET Systems, Inc.): Project Support
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NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio
NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio
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Keyword:
NASA Science >> Earth
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4179
Data Used: Note: While we identify the data sets used in these visualizations, we do not store any further details nor the data sets themselves on our site.
Keyword:
NASA Science >> Earth
