NASA On Air: U.S. Air Quality Improving (6/26/2014)
LEAD: The air we breathe is getting cleaner.
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That from nearly 10 years of observations from NASA’s Aura satellite.
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Nitrogen dioxide levels have decreased thanks to technological improvements in cars and power plants.
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Comparing 2005 to 2011, the biggest gains are in large eastern cities.
TAG: These are important developments for those with respiratory difficulties.
EXTRA: Nitrogen dioxide levels down by...(see percentages below for select cities).
NYC: 32%
Philadelphia: 26%
Chicago: 43%
Atlanta: 42%
Los Angeles: 40%
Houston: 24%
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
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Video editor
- Joy Ng (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
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Producer
- Howard Joe Witte (ADNET Systems, Inc.)
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Project support
- Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET Systems, Inc.)
Related Pages
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ID: 11579 Produced Video
NASA Images Highlight U.S. Air Quality Improvement – Release Materials
Read moreAnyone 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 following visualizations show tropospheric column concentrations of nitrogen dioxide as detected by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument on NASA's Aura satellite. 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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ID: 2948 Visualization
Simulated Aura/OMI Data Collection
Read moreOn June 19, 2004, NASA launches Aura, a next generation Earth-observing satellite. One of several instruments on the Aura satellite is the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). OMI is a contribution of the Netherland's Agency for Aerospace Programs (NIVR) along with the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI). OMI will continue the TOMS record for total ozone and other atmospheric parameters related to ozone chemistry and climate. (For more information on the Aura project, please visit http://aura.gsfc.nasa.gov/)Note: The size of the satellite model in the following animation and stills has been exaggerated for aesthetic purposes. ||
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