ASIA-AQ – Airborne and Satellite Investigation of Asian Air Quality

The Airborne and Satellite Investigation of Asian Air Quality (ASIA-AQ) is an international cooperative field study designed to address local air quality challenges. Specifically, ASIA-AQ will contribute to improving the integration of satellite observations with existing air quality ground monitoring and modeling efforts across Asia. Satellite air quality observations are evolving with new capabilities from South Korea’s Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS). Traditional satellite measurements from low earth orbit (LEO) are only available once per day. GEMS measures hourly to provide a new view of air quality conditions from space that both complements and depends upon ground-based monitoring efforts of countries in its field of view. NASA is proposing to contribute three research aircraft to the study with the potential to conduct flights in early 2024 over 3-5 locations in Asia.

Short-term airborne measurements provide a unique, multidimensional view of pollution that is comprehensive in chemical detail and vertically resolved to provide information on the distribution of pollutants throughout the lower atmosphere. This perspective is valuable for informing how satellite observations connect to surface measurements and for assessing air quality models used to forecast and diagnose the conditions leading to poor air quality. Through these connections, ASIA-AQ can better characterize local emissions, aid in source identification and apportionment, enable assessment of processes leading to secondary production of ozone and fine particle pollution, and lead to better air quality modeling and interpretation of ground-based and satellite observations.

ASIA-AQ flights will be conducted in full partnership with local scientists and environmental agencies responsible for air quality monitoring and assessment. These partners will contribute to the design of the flight sampling strategies, participate in the execution of the study, and be involved in the analysis of observations collected. NASA is committed to open sharing of flight data during all phases of the study (planning, execution, and analysis) as well as capacity building opportunities for visiting scientists and students.