GEOSS Architecture Implementation Pilot

Air Quality and Health Scenario

Stefan Falke, Rudy Husar,

Francis Lindsay, David McCabe

Boulder Kickoff Meeting

Who does the air quality scenario benefit?

The scenario is quite broad and ambitious, structured around the needs of three end-users:

- A policy-maker, needing synthetic assessments of long-range transport of air pollution

- An air quality manager, assessing whether an episodequalifies as an ’exceptional event’ under AQ regulationsExceptional events such as fires, dust storms are not counted as an exceedance under AQ regulations. In US, petitioners can use any applicable data to show exceptionality of an event.

- The public, needing information on air quality now and tomorrowEnables individuals, families to adjust plans if air quality is/will be poor;allows health community, other decision-makers to plan for episodes

What does the air quality scenario envision?

• Data, tools, and capabilities for one group of end users generally benefit all end users

• Much data, tools already exist; not currently operational or interoperable

PolicyMakers

Signinternationalagreement?

AQManagers

Was pollutionevent due

to transportfrom afar?

Eventanalysis

PublicIs it healthy

to go for a run now?

Decision Support

Air QualityAnalysts

Air QualityForecasters

integrationof multiple

observationaldatasets

comparisonof observations,

models

REAL TIMEassimilation of observations into models

REAL TIMEdistribution of AQprocessed data,

maps

MetAgencymet data

ModelingCommunity

models

Enviro.AgencyAmbientPollutant

Concentrations

SatelliteAgencyPollutantColumn

Densities

These upstream connections & capabilities aren’t currently operational and interoperable

What does the air quality scenario envision?

• Data, tools, and capabilities for one group of end users generally benefit all end users

• Much data, tools already exist; not currently operational or interoperable

The air quality scenario represents a great test bed for an interoperable, system-of-systems approach

• Earth Observations Providers Space agencies; met, land management, and environmental/health agencies(national, regional, local); Academics; Private sector

• Air Quality Modelers, Forecasters, and Analysts

Environmental/health management and met agencies (national, regional, local)

Modelers and analysts in many settings

• Information Management Specialists

• Air Quality Management Decision-Makers

Environmental, health agencies;

Multi-lateral Cooperative Fora: LRTAP, EANET, Malé Declaration, Arctic Council

• Other Consumers of Air Quality Informations

Public, researchers, mass-media, …

Air Quality & Health Scenario: Actors

Many actors are ‘decision-makers’

Policymakers, sensitive individuals, modelers, parents, transit officials, air quality managers, weather forecasters, air quality analysts, environmental compliance officials, …

Air Quality & Health: Starting Information

• Meteorological data – Observations from ground-based networks, satellites, sondes– Forecasts from numerical models at the global and regional scales

• Geographical data – Land use – Demographics– Emissions-related activity

• Atmospheric Composition (Air Quality) Observations– Surface Monitoring Networks– Satellite Observations – Sondes– Ground-based remote sensors– Aircraft Measurements

• Numerical Air Quality Chemical Transport Models – (at regional to global scales)

Air Quality & Health Scenario: Existing Efforts

• Real-Time Large-Scale Event Analysis – FASTNET, IDEA, SmogBlog

• Assessment of International and Intercontinental Transport of Air Pollution– HTAP Data Network, AMET, RSIG, HemiTap

• Assimilation of Observations for Air Quality Forecasting– GEMS, RAQMS

• Provision of Relevant Information to the Health Community & the Public– AIRNow, PHASE

extra slides

Air Quality & Health AIP Scenario

• Air pollution remains a serious global public health problemWorldwide: hundreds of thousands of deaths from outdoor air pollution

• To understand, forecast, and manage air pollution, diverse information needs to be brought together:– surface monitors, satellites, airborne sensors– meteorological & chemical transport models– emissions & emissions-generating activities– demographics, exposure-related behavior, health impacts – air pollution crosses political boundaries so information must too`

Examples – pieces of the puzzle

GAW:

WMO

Global

Atmosphere

Watch

Development of the AIP Air Quality Scenario• Developed iteratively by a collaborating multi-organization group • Written on the ESIP wiki, using online forum and telecons to plan, discuss, and develop the

submitted scenario • Helped develop the ESIP air quality Community of Practice, which is co‑evolving with the

AIP Pilot and other activities• Published with AIP Phase Two CFP, 27 June 2008

Community of Practice Wiki for AQ Scenario

Examples – pieces of the puzzle

GEMS:Global & regionalEarth systemMonitoringusingSatellites

(ECMWF)

Examples – pieces of the puzzle

Informing the public about Air Quality & Forecasts in real time: AIRNow

Interoperability needed!

many systems,

many pipes….

we shouldn’t

keep reinventing

wheels!

Societal needs and the actors

Da

ta wo

nks

Mo

de

lers

Air Q

uality a

na

lysts

Loca

l policy m

ake

r

Dista

nt p

olicy m

aker

Se

nsitive individ

ual

Real time

event analysisX X X X X X

Assessing inter-continental transport

X X X X X

Merging satellites,

in-situ, model dataX X X

AQ nowcasts, forecasts to public

X X X X X