Members Can Post Anonymously On This Site
Amateur and Professional Astronomers Team Up to Create a Cosmological Masterpiece
-
Similar Topics
-
By NASA
Earth Observer Earth Home Earth Observer Home Editor’s Corner Feature Articles Meeting Summaries News Science in the News Calendars In Memoriam More Archives 22 min read
Summary of the Second OMI–TROPOMI Science Team Meeting
Introduction
The second joint Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI)–TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) Science Team (ST) meeting was held June 3–6, 2024. The meeting used a hybrid format, with the in-person meeting hosted at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, CO. This was the first OMI meeting to offer virtual participation since the COVID-19 travel restrictions. Combining the onsite and virtual attendees, the meeting drew 125 participants – see Photo.
OMI flies on NASA’s Earth Observing System (EOS) Aura platform, launched July 15, 2004. TROPOMI flies on the European Space Agency’s (ESA)–Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor platform. OMI has collected nearly 20 years of data and TROPOMI now has amassed 5 years of data.
Meeting content was organized around the following four objectives:
discussion of the final reprocessing of OMI data (called Collection 4) and of data preservation; discussion of OMI data continuity and enhancements using TROPOMI measurements; development of unique TROPOMI products [e.g., methane (CH4)], applications (e.g., tracking emissions – and using them as indicators of socioeconomic and military activities), and new focus regions (e.g., Africa); and leverage synergies between atmospheric composition (AC) and greenhouse gas (GHG) missions, which form the international constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) and geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites. The remainder of this article summarizes the highlights from each day of the meeting.
Photo. Group photo of the in-person participants at the OMI–TROPOMI Science Team meeting. Photo credit: Shaun Bush/NCAR’s Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling DAY ONE
The topics covered on the first day of the meeting included OMI instrument performance, calibration, final Collection 4 reprocessing, and plans for data preservation.
OMI and Data Products Update
Pieternel Levelt [Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI)—OMI Principal Investigator (PI) and NCAR’s Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling (ACOM) Laboratory—Director] began her presentation by dedicating the meeting to the memory of Johan de Vries, whose untimely death came as a shock to the OMI and TROPOMI teams – see In Memoriam: Johan de Vries for a celebration of his accomplishments and contributions to the OMI-TROPOMI team. She then went on to give a status update on OMI, which is one of two currently operating instruments on EOS Aura [the other being the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS)]. OMI is the longest operating and stable ultraviolet–visible (UV-VIS) spectrometer. It continues to “age gracefully” thanks to its design, contamination control measures undertaken after the launch, and stable optical bench temperature. Lessons learned during integration of OMI on the Aura spacecraft (e.g., provide additional charged couple device shielding) and operations (i.e., monitor partial Earth-view port blockages) guided the development and operations of the follow-on TROPOMI mission.
Continued monitoring of OMI performance is crucial for extending science- and trend-quality OMI records to the end of the Aura mission (currently expected in 2026). Antje Ludewig [KNMI] described the new OMI Level-1B (L1B) processor (Collection 4), which is based on TROPOMI data flow and optimized calibrations. The processor has been transferred to the U.S. OMI ST, led by Joanna Joiner [NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)]. Matthew Bandel [Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI)] described NASA’s new OMI monitoring tools.
Sergey Marchenko [SSAI] discussed OMI daily spectral solar irradiance (SSI) data, which are used for monitoring solar activity and can be compared with the dedicated Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS-1) on the International Space Station. Continuation of OMI measurements will allow comparisons with the upcoming NASA TSIS-2 mission. Antje Inness [European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)] described operational assimilation of OMI and TROPOMI near-real time data into the European Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) daily analysis/forecast and re-analysis – see Figure 1.
In Memoriam: Johan de Vries
Johan de Vries
June 10, 1956 – May 8, 2024 Johan de Vries [Airbus Netherlands—Senior Specialist Remote Sensing] passed away suddenly on May 8, 2024, after a distinguished career. As a member of the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI)–TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) program, Johan conceptualized the idea of using a two-dimensional (2D) charged couple detector (CCD) for the OMI imaging spectrometer. This “push-broom” design led to high-spatial resolution spectra combined with high-spatial resolution and daily global coverage capability. His pioneering design for OMI has now been repeated on several other U.S. and international atmospheric composition measuring instruments – in both low and geostationary orbits – that are either in orbit or planned for launch soon. This achievement ensures that Johan’s legacy will live on for many years to come as these push-broom Earth observing spectrometers result in unprecedented data for environmental research and applications. The OMI and TROPOMI teams express their deepest condolences to de Vries family and colleagues over this loss.
Figure 1. An example of TROPOMI pixel nitrogen dioxide (NO2) observations over Europe on September 8, 2018 [top] and the corresponding super observations [bottom] for a model grid of 0.5 x 0.5o. Cloudy locations are colored grey. TROPOMI super observations are tested for use in the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) data assimilation framework and will also be used for combined OMI–TROPOMI gridded datasets. Figure credit: reprinted from a 2024 paper posted on EGUSphere. Updates on OMI and TROPOMI Level-2 Data Products
The U.S. and Netherlands OMI STs continue to collaborate closely on reprocessing and improving OMI and TROPOMI L2 science products. During the meeting, one or more presenters reported on each product, which are described in the paragraphs that follow.
Serena Di Pede [KNMI] discussed the latest algorithm updates to the Collection 4 OMI Total Column Ozone (O3) product, which is derived using differential absorption spectroscopy (DOAS). She compared results from the new algorithm with the previous Collection 3 and with both the TROPOMI and OMI NASA O3 total column (Collection 3) algorithms. Collection 4 improved on previous versions by reducing the retrieval fit error and the along-track stripes of the product.
Juseon “Sunny” Bak and Xiong Liu [both from Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO)] gave updates on the status of the Collection 4 O3 profile products.
Lok Lamsal [GSFC/University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)] and Henk Eskes [KNMI] compared Collection 3 and Collection 4 of the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) products.
Zolal Ayzpour [SAO] discussed the status of the OMI Collection 4 formaldehyde (HCHO) product.
Hyeong-Ahn Kwon [SAO] presented a poster that updated the Glyoxal product.
Omar Torres [GSFC] and Changwoo Ahn [GSFC/SSAI] presented regional trend analyses using the re-processed OMI Collection 4 absorbing aerosol product – see Figure 2.
Figure 2. Reprocessed OMI records (from Collection 4) of monthly average aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 388 nm derived from the OMI aerosol algorithm (OMAERUV) over Western North America (WNA): 30°N–50°N, 110°W–128°W) [top] and over Eastern China (EC): 25°N–43°N, 112°E–124°E) [bottom]. A repeatable annual cycle over WNA occurred with autumn minimum at around 0.1 and a spring maximum in the vicinity of 0.4 during the 2005–2016 period. After 2017 much larger AOD maxima in the late summer are associated with wildfire smoke occurrence. Over EC (bottom) the 2005–2014 AOD record depicts a large spring maxima (0.7 and larger) due to long-range transport of dust and secondary pollution aerosols followed by late autumn minima (around 0.3). A significant AOD decrease is observed starting in 2015 with reduced minimum and maximum values to about 0.2 and 0.5 respectively. The drastic change in AOD load over this region is associated with pollution control measures enacted over the last decade. Figure credit: Changwoo Ahn/GSFC/SSAI and Omar Torres/GSFC Updates on EOS Synergy Products
Several presenters and posters during the meeting gave updates on EOS synergy products, where OMI data are combined with data from another instrument on one of the EOS flagships. These are described below.
Brad Fisher [SSAI] presented a poster on the Joint OMI–Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) cloud products.
Wenhan Qin [GSFC/SSAI] presented a poster on the MODIS–OMI Geometry Dependent Lambertian Equivalent Surface Reflectivity (GLER) product.
Jerry Ziemke [GSFC and Morgan State University (MSU)] presented on the OMI–MLS Tropospheric Ozone product that showed post-COVID tropospheric O3 levels measured using this product, which are consistent with similar measurements obtained using other satellite O3 data – see Figure 3.
Figure 3. Anomaly maps of merged tropospheric column O3 (TCO) satellite data (Dobson Units) for spring–summer 2020–2023. In this context, an anomaly is defined as deseasonalized O3 data. The anomaly maps are derived by first calculating seasonal climatology maps for 2016–2019 (i.e., pre-COVID pandemic) and then subtracting these climatology maps from the entire data record.
Note: The sensors used in this analysis include: the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS)/ Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2) and Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) on the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) missions, which currently include the joint NASA–NOAA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP), NOAA-20, and NOAA-21; the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC)/MERRA-2 on the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR); the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS), both on EOS Aura; the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI)/ Fast Optimal Retrievals on Layers (FORLI), IASI/SOftware for Fast Retrievals of IASI Data (SOFRID), and IASI/Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment–2 (GOME2). IASI flies on the European MetOp-A, -B, and -C missions. The OMPS/MERRA-2 and EPIC/MERRA-2 products subtract coincident MERRA-2 stratospheric column O3 from total O3 to derive tropospheric column O3. Figure credit: Jerry Ziemke/GSFC and Morgan State University (MSU) Updates on Multisatellite Climate Data Records
The OMI ST also discussed refining and analyzing multisatellite climate data records (CDRs) that have been processed with consistent algorithms. Several presenters reported on this work, who are mentioned below.
Jenny Stavrakou [Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Ruimte-Aeronomie, Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA–IASB)], reported on work focusing on the OMI and TROPOMI HCHO CDR and Huan Yu [BIRA–IASB)] reported harmonized OMI and TROPOMI cloud height datasets based on improved O2-O2 absorption retrieval algorithm.
Lok Lamsal [GSFC/UMBC, Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research (GESTAR) II], Henk Eskes, and Pepijn Veefkind [KNMI] reported on the OMI and TROPOMI NO2 CDRs – see Figure 4.
Si-Wan Kim [Yonsei University, South Korea] reported on OMI and TROPOMI long-term NO2 trends.
Figure 4. OMI nitrogen dioxide (NO2) time series bridging the first GOME mission (which flew on the European Remote Sensing Satellite–2 (ERS–2) from 1995–2011 with limited coverage after 2003) and measurements from the two currently operating missions – OMI (2004–present) and TROPOMI (2017–present) – offer consistent climate data records that allow for studying long-term changes. This example shows tropospheric NO2 column time series from three instruments over Phoenix, AZ. The overlap between the OMI and TROPOMI missions allows for intercomparison between the two, which is crucial to avoid continuity-gaps in multi-instrument time series. The ERS-2 (GOME) had a morning equator crossing time (10:30 AM), while Aura (OMI) and Metop (TROPOMI) have afternoon equator crossing times of 1:45 PM and 1:30 PM respectively. Figure credit: Lok Lamsal/GSFC/University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Update on Aura’s Drifting Orbit
Bryan Duncan [GSFC—Aura Project Scientist] closed out the first day with a presentation summarizing predictions of Aura’s drifting orbit. Overall, the impact of Aura’s drift is expected to be minor, and the OMI and MLS teams will be able to maintain science quality data for most data products. He thanked the OMI/TROPOMI ST and user community for expressing their strong support for continuing Aura observations until the end of the Aura mission in mid–2026.
DAY TWO
The second day of the meeting focused on current and upcoming LEO and GEO Atmospheric Composition (AC) missions.
TROPOMI Mission and Data Product Updates
Veefkind presented an update on the TROPOMI mission, which provides continuation and enhancements for all OMI products. Tobias Borssdorf [Stichting Ruimte Onderzoek Nederland (SRON), or Netherlands Institute for Space Research] explained how TROPOMI, with its innovative shortwave infrared (SWIR) spectrometer, measures CH4 and carbon monoxide (CO). This approach continues measurements that began by the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument on Terra.
Hiren Jethva [NASA Airborne Science Program] and Torres presented new TROPOMI near-UV aerosol products, including a new aerosol layer optical centroid height product, which takes advantage of the TROPOMI extended spectral range – see Figure 5.
Figure 5. Global gridded (0.10° x 0.10°) composite map of aerosol layer optical centroid height (AH) retrieved from TROPOMI O2-B band observations from May–September 2023. Figure credit: Hiren Jethva/NASA Airborne Science Program GEMS–TEMPO–Sentinel-4 (UVN): A Geostationary Air Quality Constellation
TROPOMI global observations serve as a de facto calibration standard used to homogenize a new constellation of three missions that will provide AC observations for most of the Northern Hemisphere from GEO. Two of the three constellation members are already in orbit. Jhoon Kim [Yonsei University—PI] discussed the Geostationary Environmental Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS), launched on February 19, 2020 aboard the Republic of Korea’s GEO-KOMPSAT-2B satellite. It is making GEO AC measurements over Asia. The GEMS team is working on validating measurements of NO2 diurnal variations using ground-based measurements from the PANDORA Global Network over Asia and aircraft measurements from the ASIA–AQ field campaign.
Liu discussed NASA’s Tropospheric Emission Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) spectrometer, launched on April 7, 2023, aboard a commercial INTELSAT 40E satellite. From its GEO vantage point, TEMPO can observe the Continental U.S., Southern Canada, Mexico, and the coastal waters of the Northwestern Atlantic and Northeastern Pacific oceans.
Gonzales Abad [SAO] presented the first measurements from TEMPO. He explained that TEMPO’s design is similar to GEMS, but GEMS includes an additional visible and near infrared (VNIR) spectral channel (540–740 nm) to measure tropospheric O3, O2, and water vapor (H2Ov). TEMPO can perform optimized morning scans, twilight scans, and scans with high temporal resolution (5–10 minutes) over selected regions. Abad reported that the TEMPO team released L1B spectra and the first provisional public L2 products (Version 3), including NO2, HCHO, and total column O3. Andrew Rollins [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Chemical Sciences Laboratory (CSL)] reported that the TEMPO team is working on validation of provisional data using both ground-based data from PANDORA spectrometers and data collected during several different airborne campaigns completed during the summer of 2023 and compiled on the AGES+ website.
Ben Veihelmann [ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Center—PI] explained that ESA’s Copernicus Sentinel-4 mission will be the final member of the GEO AC constellation. Veefkind summarized the Sentinel-4 mission, which is expected to launch on the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG)-Sounder 1 (MTG-S1) platform in 2025. The mission is dedicated to measuring air quality and O3 over Europe and parts of the Atlantic and North Africa. Sentinel-4 will deploy the first operational UV-Vis-NIR (UVN) imaging spectrometer on a geostationary satellite. (Airbus will build UVN, with ESA providing guidance.) Sentinel-4 includes two instruments launched in sequence on MTG-S1 and MTG-S2 platforms designed to have a combined lifetime of 15 years. The mission by the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) will operate Sentinel-4, and the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) or German Aerospace Center will be responsible for operational L2 processing.
These three GEO AC missions, along with the upcoming ESA/EUMETSAT/Copernicus LEO (morning orbit, 9:30 a.m.) Sentinel-5 (S5) mission, will complete a LEO–GEO satellite constellation that will enable monitoring of the most industrialized and polluted regions in the Northern Hemisphere into the 2030s. Sentinel-5 will not continue the OMI–TROPOMI data record in the early afternoon; however, it will be placed in the morning orbit and follow ESA’s Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) and EUMETSAT GOME-2 missions. By contrast, GEO AC observations over the Southern Hemisphere are currently not available. Several presenters described ongoing projects for capacity building for LEO satellite air quality data uptake and emission monitoring in Africa and advocated for the new geostationary measurements.
Synergy with Other Current or Upcoming Missions
Attendees discussed the synergy between upcoming AC, GHG, and ocean color missions. Current trends in satellite AC measurements are toward increased spatial resolution and combined observations of short-lived reactive trace gases – which are important for air quality (AQ) monitoring – and long-lived GHG – which are important for climate monitoring and carbon cycle assessments. Some trace gases (e.g., O3 and CH4) are both polluters and GHG agents. Others [e.g., NO2 and sulfur dioxide (SO2 )] are aerosol [particulate matter (PM)] and O3 precursors and are used as proxies and spatial indicators for anthropogenic CO2 and CH4 emissions.
Yasjka Meijer [ESA—Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring (CO2M) Mission Scientist]) reviewed the plans for CO2M, which includes high-resolution measurements [~4 km2 (~1.5 mi2)] of CO2 , CH4 , and NO2.
Jochen Landgraf [SRON] described ESA’s new Twin Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gas Observers (TANGO) mission, which has the objective to measure CO2 , CH4 , and NO2 at even higher spatial resolution [~300 m (~984 ft)] using two small CubeSat spectrometers flying in formation.
Hiroshi Tanimoto [National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan] described the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Global Observing SATellite for greenhouse gases and water cycle (GOSAT-GW) mission, which includes the Total Anthropogenic and Natural Emission mapping SpectrOmeter (TANSO-3) spectrometer to simultaneously measure CO2 , CH4, and NO2 with ~1–3 km (~0.6–1.8 mi) spatial resolution in focus mode. GOSAT-GW will also fly the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 3 (AMSR3).
Joanna Joiner [GSFC—Geostationary Extended Operations (GeoXO) Project Scientist and ACX Instrument Scientist] described the plans for the next-generation U.S. geosynchronous satellite constellation, which will consist of three satellites covering the full Earth disk: GEO-East, GEO-West, and GEO-Central. (By contrast, the current Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) series has two satellites: GOES–East and GOES–West.) GEO-Central will carry an advanced infrared sounder (GXS) for measuring vertical profiles of many trace gases, temperature and humidity, and a new UV-VIS spectrometer (ACX), which is a follow-on to TEMPO for AQ applications. Both GXS and ACX instruments will be built by BAE Systems, which acquired Ball Aerospace and Technology, and will also build the GeoXO ocean color spectrometer (OCX).
Andrew Sayer [UMBC] described NASA’s Plankton, Aerosols, Clouds, and ocean Ecosystem (PACE), which launched on February 8, 2024. The PACE payload includes a high-spatial resolution [~1 km (~0.6 mi) at nadir] Ocean Color Instrument (OCI), which is a UV-Vis-NIR spectrometer with discrete SWIR bands presenting additional opportunities for synergistic observations with the AC constellation. Sayer presented OCI “first light” aerosol data processed using the unified retrieval algorithm developed by Lorraine Remer [UMBC].
The second day concluded with a joint crossover session with NASA’s Health and Air Quality Applied Sciences Team (HAQAST) followed by a poster session. Several OMI–TROPOMI STM participants presented on a variety of topics that illustrate how OMI and TROPOMI data are being used to support numerous health and AQ applications. Duncan, who is also a member of HAQAST team, presented “20 years of health and air quality applications enabled by OMI data.” He highlighted OMI contributions to AQ and health applications, including NO2 trend monitoring, inferring trends of co-emitted species [e.g., CO2, CO, some Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)], validation of new satellite missions (e.g., TEMPO, PACE), and burden of disease studies.
DAY THREE
Discussions on the third day focused on advanced retrieval algorithms, leading to new products and new applications for OMI and TROPOMI data. Several presentations described applications of TROPOMI CH4 data and synergy with small satellites.
Advanced Retrieval Algorithms and New Data Products
Ilse Aben [SRON] described TROPOMI global detection of CH4 super-emitters using an automated system based on Machine Learning (ML) techniques – see Figure 6. Berend Schuit [SRON] provided additional detail on these methods. He introduced the TROPOMI CH4 web site to the meeting participants. He explained how TROPOMI global CH4 measurements use “tip-and-cue” dedicated satellites with much higher spatial resolution instruments [e.g., GHGSat with ~25-m (~82-ft) resolution] to scan for individual sources and estimate emission rates. Most CH4 super-emitters are related to urban areas and/or landfills, followed by plumes from gas and oil industries and coal mines.
Figure 6. Methane plume map produced by SRON shows TROPOMI large CH4 emission plumes for the week of the OMI–TROPOMI meeting (June 3–6, 2024). Figure credit: Itse Aben/Stichting Ruimte Onderzoek Nederland (SRON) Alba Lorente [Environmental Defense Fund—Methane Scientist] introduced a new MethaneSAT satellite launched in March 2024, which aims to fill the gap in understanding CH4 emissions on a regional scale [200 x 200 km2 (~77 x 77 mi2)] from at least 80% of global oil and gas production, agriculture, and urban regions. Alex Bradley [University of Colorado, Boulder] described improvements to TROPOMI CH4 retrievals that were achieved by correcting seasonal effects of changing surface albedo.
Daniel Jacob [Harvard University] presented several topics, including the highest resolution [~30 m (~98 ft)] NO2 plume retrievals from Landsat-8 – see Figure 7 – and Sentinel-2 imagers. He also discussed using a ML technique trained with TROPOMI data to improve NO2 retrievals from GEMS and modeling NO2 diurnal cycle and emission estimates. He introduced the ratio of ammonia (NH3) to NO2 (NH3/NO2) as an indicator of particulate matter with diameters less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) nitrate sensitivity regime. Jacob emphasized the challenges related to satellite NO2 retrievals (e.g., accounting for a free-tropospheric NO2 background and aerosols).
Figure 7. Landsat Optical Land Imager (OLI) image, obtained on October 17, 2021 over Saudi Arabia, shows power plant exhaust, which contains nitrogen dioxide (NO2) drifting downwind from the sources (the two green circles are the stacks). The ultra-blue channel (430–450 nm) on OLI enables quantitative detection of NO2 in plumes from large point sources at 30-m (~98-ft) resolution. This provides a unique ability for monitoring point-source emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx). The two stacks in the image are separated by 2 km (~1.2 mi). Figure credit: Daniel Jacob – repurposed from a 2024 publication in Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences (PNAS) Steffen Beirle [Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Germany] explained his work to fit TROPOMI NO2 column measurements to investigate nitric oxide (NO) to NO2 processing in power plant plumes. Debra Griffin [Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)] used TROPOMI NO2 observations and ML random forest technique to estimate NO2 surface concentrations. Sara Martinez-Alonso [NCAR] investigated geographical and seasonal variations in NO2 diurnal cycle using GEMS and TEMPO data. Ziemkecombined satellite O3 data to confirm a persistent low anomaly (~5–15%) in tropospheric O3 after 2020. Jethva presented advanced OMI and TROPOMI absorbing aerosol products. Yu described improved OMI and TROPOMI cloud datasets using the O2-O2 absorption band at 477 nm. Nicholas Parazoo [Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)] described TROPOMI Fraunhofer line retrievals of red solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) near O2-B band (663–685 nm) to improve mapping of ocean primary productivity. Liyin He [Duke University] described using satellite terrestrial SIF data to study the effect of particulate pollution on ecosystem productivity.
New Applications
Zachary Fasnacht [SSAI] used OMI and TROPOMI spectra to train a neural network to gap-fill MODIS and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) ocean color data under aerosol, sun glint, and partly cloudy conditions. This ML method can also be applied to PACE OCI spectra. Anu-Maija Sundström [Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI)] used OMI and TROPOMI SO2 and O3 data as proxies to study new particle formation events. Lindsey Anderson [University of Colorado, Boulder] described how she used TROPOMI NO2 and CO measurements to estimate the composition of wildfire emissions and their effect on forecasted air quality. Heesung Chong [SAO] applied OMI bromine oxide (BrO) retrievals to the NOAA operational Ozone Mapping and Profiling Suite Nadir Mapper (OMPS-NM) on joint NOAA–NASA Suomi-National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite with the possibility to continue afternoon measurements using similar OMPS-NM instruments on the four Joint Polar Satellite System missions (JPSS-1,-2,-3,-4) into the 2030s. (JPSS-1 and -2 are now in orbit and known as NOAA-20 and -21 respectively; JPSS-4 is planned for launch in 2027, with JPSS-3 currently targeted for 2032.)
Kim demonstrated the potential for using satellite NO2 and SO2 emissions as a window into socioeconomic issues that are not apparent by other methods. For example, she showed how OMI and TROPOMI data were widely used to monitor air quality improvements in the aftermath of COVID-19 lockdowns. (Brad Fisher [SSAI] presented a poster on a similar topic.)
Cathy Clerbaux [Center National d’Études Spatiale (CNES), or French Space Agency] showed how her team used TROPOMI NO2 data to trace the signal emitted by ships and used this information to determine how the shipping lanes through the Suez Canal changed in response to unrest in the Middle East. Iolanda Ialongo [FMI] showed a similar drop of NO2 emissions over Donetsk region due to the war in Ukraine. Levelt showed how OMI and TROPOMI NO2 data are used for capacity-building projects and for air quality reporting in Africa. She also advocated for additional geostationary AQ measurements over Africa.
DAY FOUR
Discussions on the final day focused on various methods of assimilating satellite data into air quality models for emission inversions and aircraft TEMPO validation campaigns. The meeting ended with Levelt giving her unique perspective on the OMI mission, as she reflected on more than two decades being involved with the development, launch, operation, and maintenance of OMI.
Assimilating Satellite Data into Models for Emissions
Brian McDonald [CSL] described advance chemical data assimilation of satellite data for emission inversions and the GReenhouse gas And Air Pollutants Emissions System (GRA2PES). He showed examples of assimilations using TROPOMI and TEMPO NO2 observations to adjust a priori emissions. He also showed that when TEMPO data are assimilated, NOx emissions adjust faster and tend to perform better at the urban scale. Adrian Jost [Max Planck Institute for Chemistry] described the ESA-funded World Emission project to improve pollutant and GHG emission inventories using satellite data. He showed examples of TROPOMI SO2 emissions from large-point sources and compared the data with bottom-up and NASA SO2 emissions catalogue.
Ivar van der Velde [SRON] presented a method to evaluate fire emissions using new satellite imagery of burned area and TROPOMI CO. Helene Peiro [SRON] described her work to combine TROPOMI CO and burned area information to compare the impact of prescribed fires versus wildfires on air quality in the U.S. She concluded that prescribed burning reduces CO pollution. Barbara Dix [University of Colorado, Boulder, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences] derived NOx emissions from U.S. oil and natural gas production using TROPOMI NO2 data and flux divergence method. She estimated TROPOMI CH4 emissions from Denver–Julesburg oil and natural gas production. Dix explained that the remaining challenge is to separate oil and gas emissions from other co-located CH4 sources. Ben Gaubert [NCAR, Atmospheric Chemistry Observations and Modeling] described nonlinear and non-Gaussian ensemble assimilation of MOPITT CO using the data assimilation research testbed (DART).
Andrew (Drew) Rollings [CSL] presented first TEMPO validation results from airborne field campaigns in 2023 (AGES+ ), including NOAA CSL Atmospheric Emissions and Reactions observed from Megacities to Marine Aeras (AEROMMA) and NASA’s Synergistic TEMPO Air Quality Science (STAQS) campaigns.
A Reflection on Twenty Years of OMI Observations
Levelt gave a closing presentation in which she reflected on her first involvement with the OMI mission as a young scientist back in 1998. This led to a collaboration with the international ST to develop the instrument, which was included as part of Aura’s payload when it launched in July 2004. She reminisced about important highlights from 2 decades of OMI, e.g., the 10-year anniversary STM at KNMI in 2014 (see “Celebrating Ten Years of OMI Observations,” The Earth Observer, May–Jun 2014, 26:3, 23–30), and the OMI ST receiving the NASA/U.S. Geological Survey Pecora award in 2018 and the American Meteorological Society’s Special award in 2021.
Levelt pointed out that in this combined OMI–TROPOMI meeting the movement towards using air pollution and GHG data together became apparent. She ended by saying that the OMI instrument continues to “age gracefully” and its legacy continues with the TROPOMI and LEO–GEO atmospheric composition constellation of satellites that were discussed during the meeting.
Conclusion
Overall, the second OMI–TROPOMI STM acknowledged OMI’s pioneering role and TROPOMI’s unique enhancements in measurements of atmospheric composition:
Ozone Layer Monitoring: Over the past two decades, OMI has provided invaluable data on the concentration and distribution of O3 in the Earth’s stratosphere. This data has been crucial for understanding and monitoring the recovery of the O3 layer following international agreements, such as the Montreal Protocol. Air Quality Assessment: OMI’s high-resolution measurements of air pollutants, such as NO2, SO2, and HCHO, have significantly advanced our understanding of air quality. This information has been vital for tracking pollution sources, studying their transport and transformation, and assessing their impact on human health and the environment. Climate Research: The data collected by OMI has enhanced our knowledge of the interactions between atmospheric chemistry and climate change. These insights have been instrumental in refining climate models and improving our predictions of future climate scenarios. Global Impact: The OMI instrument has provided near-daily global coverage of atmospheric data, which has been essential for scientists and policymakers worldwide. The comprehensive and reliable data from OMI has supported countless research projects and informed decisions aimed at protecting and improving our environment. OMI remains one of the most stable UV/Vis instruments over its two decades of science and trend quality data collection. The success of the OMI and TROPOMI instruments is a testament to the collaboration, expertise, and dedication of both teams.
Nickolay Krotkov
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Nickolay.a.krotkov@nasa.gov
Pieternel Levelt
National Center for Atmospheric Research, Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling
levelt@ucar.edu
Share
Details
Last Updated Nov 12, 2024 Related Terms
Earth Science View the full article
-
By NASA
Learn Home Professional Learning: Using… For Professionals Overview Learning Resources Science Activation Teams SME Map Opportunities More Science Activation Stories Citizen Science 3 min read
Professional Learning: Using Children’s Books to Build STEM Habits of Mind
On October 14, 2024, the Science Activation program’s NASA eClipsTM Education team from the National Institute of Aerospace’s Center for Integrative Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM) Education (NIA-CISE) delivered a professional development session entitled “Using Children’s Books to Build STEM Habits of Mind” to 62 Media Specialists and Gifted Teachers from Richmond Public Schools in Virginia.
The session kicked off with an engaging overview of NASA’s methods for gathering Earth data, including the use of stratospheric balloons. Participants then took part in the Balloon Aerodynamics Challenge 1 & 2. Divided into small groups, the teachers assumed the role of “stratospheric balloon engineers” and were tasked with adjusting helium-filled balloons to achieve neutral buoyancy. Initially, teams analyzed qualitative and quantitative aspects of their balloons before exploring the materials available to help them reach the target height. Once they achieved neutral buoyancy, their next challenge was to guide their balloons around the room using only a straw and a 5×7-inch card. As they completed this task, participants linked the activity to Bernoulli’s Principle and Newton’s Laws of Motion.
Following the activity, teachers were introduced to NASA eClips’ newly released Guide Lites: Comparing Science and Engineering Practices Using Black Box Models. During this segment, they discussed the distinction between engineering and science, reflecting on the engineering practices applied in the Balloon Aerodynamics Challenge and how scientific concepts influenced their balloon modifications.
Additionally, teachers explored Favorite STEM Books and Activities: A Literary Collection Curated by the NASA eClips Team and Advisory Board Members, a resource designed to integrate children’s literature with STEM learning. Participants reviewed at least two book entries from the collection, assessing their alignment with educational standards, evaluating associated activities, and offering feedback on strengths and suggested improvements. As a final activity, teams selected a STEM trade book from the curated collection and analyzed it for potential cross-disciplinary connections, including inquiry, engineering, or hands-on activities.
The event was planned collaboratively with Judy Deichman (Coordinator of Library Services for Richmond Public Schools), Lynn Pleveich (Coordinator for Programs for the Gifted and Talented in Richmond Public Schools), Dr. Sharon Bowers and Joan Harper-Neely (NASA eClips Senior STEM Specialists), and Betsy McAllister (NIA’s Educator in Residence from Hampton City Schools).
NASA eClips is supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AB91A and is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn
Teacher teams discussed the alignment of STEM books to educational standards and provided feedback for the new activity, Favorite STEM Books and Activities: A Literary Collection Curated by the NASA eClips Team and Advisory Board Members.
Share
Details
Last Updated Nov 04, 2024 Editor NASA Science Editorial Team Related Terms
For Professionals Opportunities For Educators to Get Involved Science Activation Explore More
2 min read Watch How Students Help NASA Grow Plants in Space: Growing Beyond Earth
Article
7 days ago
3 min read Kites in the Classroom: Training Teachers to Conduct Remote Sensing Missions
Article
1 week ago
2 min read Educator Night at the Museum of the North: Activating Science in Fairbanks Classrooms
Article
2 weeks ago
Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
James Webb Space Telescope
Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the…
Perseverance Rover
This rover and its aerial sidekick were assigned to study the geology of Mars and seek signs of ancient microbial…
Parker Solar Probe
On a mission to “touch the Sun,” NASA’s Parker Solar Probe became the first spacecraft to fly through the corona…
Juno
NASA’s Juno spacecraft entered orbit around Jupiter in 2016, the first explorer to peer below the planet’s dense clouds to…
View the full article
-
By NASA
Curiosity Navigation Curiosity Home Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Science Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Curiosity Raw Images Images Videos Audio Mosaics More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions The Solar System The Sun Mercury Venus Earth The Moon Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto & Dwarf Planets Asteroids, Comets & Meteors The Kuiper Belt The Oort Cloud 2 min read
Sols 4350-4351: A Whole Team Effort
NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image using its Right Navigation Camera on sol 4348 — Martian day 4,348 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — on Oct. 29, 2024, at 14:20:08 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech Earth planning date: Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024
Just like you and me, the Curiosity rover has a few idiosyncratic tendencies — special ways that the rover behaves that we, the team on Earth, have come to understand to be harmless but still throw a curveball to our planning.
Unfortunately, the set of activities that were planned to execute on Monday behaved in one of these special ways — leaving the rover’s arm down on the ground without completing the planned set of activities, including the remainder of our contact science, remote sensing, or drive.
When this happens the whole team gets together to review the information Curiosity sends to us, and we ensure as a team that we understand the quirky way the rover acted and that we are good to proceed. While not ideal for keeping up with our scientific cadence, I appreciate these moments because they remind me of all the experts we have evaluating the rover’s health and safety day in and day out.
So for today’s plan — we completed the contact science observations of “Reds Meadow” that had been planned on Monday and picked up a second suite of contact science measurements of “Ladder Lake.” Both of these are bedrock targets and the APXS and MAHLI observations we make will continue our characterization of changes in bedrock composition and morphology in this area. We also repeated the remote sensing observations planned on Monday that did not execute.
With a fresh set of Rover Planner eyes, we reassessed if the drive planned on Monday was still the best we could do and, impressively, today’s RP agreed. So the drive remains the same, making excellent progress toward our next imaging waypoint.
The remainder of the plan contained our usual atmospheric measurements!
We’ll see what Friday holds!
Written by Elena Amador-French, Science Operations Coordinator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Share
Details
Last Updated Nov 01, 2024 Related Terms
Blogs Explore More
2 min read Sols 4348-4349: Smoke on the Water
Article
1 day ago
2 min read A Spooky Soliday: Haunting Whispers from the Martian Landscape
Article
2 days ago
3 min read Sols 4345-4347: Contact Science is Back on the Table
Article
3 days ago
Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited…
All Mars Resources
Explore this collection of Mars images, videos, resources, PDFs, and toolkits. Discover valuable content designed to inform, educate, and inspire,…
Rover Basics
Each robotic explorer sent to the Red Planet has its own unique capabilities driven by science. Many attributes of a…
Mars Exploration: Science Goals
The key to understanding the past, present or future potential for life on Mars can be found in NASA’s four…
View the full article
-
-
By NASA
Mars Sample Return MSR Home Mission Concept Overview Perseverance Rover Sample Retrieval Lander Mars Ascent Vehicle Sample Recovery Helicopters Earth Return Orbiter Science Overview Bringing Mars Samples to Earth Mars Rock Samples MSR Science Community Member Sign up News and Features Multimedia Images Videos Audio More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions The Solar System The Sun Mercury Venus Earth The Moon Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto & Dwarf Planets Asteroids, Comets & Meteors The Kuiper Belt The Oort Cloud 4 min read
New Team to Assess NASA’s Mars Sample Return Architecture Proposals
NASA announced Wednesday a new strategy review team will assess potential architecture adjustments for the agency’s Mars Sample Return Program, which aims to bring back scientifically selected samples from Mars, and is a key step in NASA’s quest to better understand our solar system and help answer whether we are alone in the universe.
Earlier this year, the agency commissioned design studies from the NASA community and eight selected industry teams on how to return Martian samples to Earth in the 2030s while lowering the cost, risk, and mission complexity. The new strategy review team will assess 11 studies conducted by industry, a team across NASA centers, the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. The team will recommend to NASA a primary architecture for the campaign, including associated cost and schedule estimates.
“Mars Sample Return will require a diversity of opinions and ideas to do something we’ve never done before: launch a rocket off another planet and safely return samples to Earth from more than 33 million miles away,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “It is critical that Mars Sample Return is done in a cost-effective and efficient way, and we look forward to learning the recommendations from the strategy review team to achieve our goals for the benefit of humanity.”
Returning samples from Mars has been a major long-term goal of international planetary exploration for more than three decades, and the Mars Sample Return Program is jointly planned with ESA (European Space Agency). NASA’s Perseverance rover is collecting compelling science samples that will help scientists understand the geological history of Mars, the evolution of its climate, and potential hazards for future human explorers. Retrieval of the samples also will help NASA’s search for signs of ancient life.
The team’s report is anticipated by the end of 2024 and will examine options for a complete mission design, which may be a composite of multiple studied design elements. The team will not recommend specific acquisition strategies or partners. The strategy review team has been chartered under a task to the Cornell Technical Services contract. The team may request input from a NASA analysis team that consists of government employees and expert consultants. The analysis team also will provide programmatic input such as a cost and schedule assessment of the architecture recommended by the strategy review team.
The Mars Sample Return Strategy Review Team is led by Jim Bridenstine, former NASA administrator, and includes the following members:
Greg Robinson, former program director, James Webb Space Telescope Lisa Pratt, former planetary protection officer, NASA Steve Battel, president, Battel Engineering; Professor of Practice, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Phil Christensen, regents professor, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe Eric Evans, director emeritus and fellow, MIT Lincoln Lab Jack Mustard, professor of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Science, Brown University Maria Zuber, E. A. Griswold professor of Geophysics and presidential advisor for science and technology policy, MIT The NASA Analysis Team is led by David Mitchell, chief program management officer at NASA Headquarters, and includes the following members:
John Aitchison, program business manager (acting), Mars Sample Return Brian Corb, program control/schedule analyst, NASA Headquarters Steve Creech, assistant deputy associate administrator for Technical, Moon to Mars Program Office, NASA Headquarters Mark Jacobs, senior systems engineer, NASA Headquarters Rob Manning, chief engineer emeritus, NASA JPL Mike Menzel, senior engineer, NASA Goddard Fernando Pellerano, senior advisor for Systems Engineering, NASA Goddard Ruth Siboni, chief of staff, Moon to Mars Program Office, NASA Headquarters Bryan Smith, director of Facilities, Test and Manufacturing, NASA Glenn Ellen Stofan, under secretary for Science and Research, Smithsonian For more information on NASA’s Mars Sample Return, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-sample-return
Dewayne Washington
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
dewayne.a.washington@nasa.gov
Share
Details
Last Updated Oct 16, 2024 Related Terms
Mars Mars Sample Return (MSR) Missions Explore More
3 min read NASA’s Hubble Sees a Stellar Volcano
Article
7 hours ago
6 min read NASA, NOAA: Sun Reaches Maximum Phase in 11-Year Solar Cycle
Article
1 day ago
2 min read ESA/NASA’s SOHO Spies Bright Comet Making Debut in Evening Sky
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) has captured images of the second-brightest comet to ever pass…
Article
5 days ago
Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics
Mars Sample Return
Mars Sample Return would be NASA’s most ambitious, multi-mission campaign that would bring carefully selected Martian samples to Earth for…
Mars 2020: Perseverance Rover
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover seeks signs of ancient life and collects samples of rock and regolith for possible Earth return.
Mars Science Laboratory: Curiosity Rover
Part of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission, at the time of launch, Curiosity was the largest and most capable rover…
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited…
View the full article
-
-
Check out these Videos
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.