improving air quality communication with advanced mapping and data distribution techniques scott a....
TRANSCRIPT
Improving Air Quality Communication with Advanced Mapping and Data Distribution Techniques
Scott A. Jackson¹, P. H. Zahn², C. P. MacDonald², D. S. Miller², A. C. Chan², J.E. White¹ .
25th Conference on International Interactive Information and Processing Systems (IIPS) for Meteorology, Oceanography, and Hydrology
AMS Annual MeetingPhoenix, ArizonaJanuary 14, 2009
¹EPA Office of Air Quality Planning & Standards, ²Sonoma Technology, Inc.
Party Favors
• Access to current air quality conditions and forecasts is important. (e.g. reduces emissions, saves lives).
• AIRNow provides the framework for doing this.
• A new AIRNow system (AIRNow-International) is improving this access through more advanced mapping and data distribution techniques.
• AIRNow-International is linked into the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS) in order to promote air quality data sharing worldwide so that people can breathe clean air everywhere (especially urban populations).
Pollutants No. of Metropolitan areas
Ozone* 57
PM2.5 32
PM10 17
Background
*According to 2000 census data, 131,977,890 live in ozone nonattainment areas
Non-Attainment Areas
Protect public health• Provide understandable information on past, current,
and future air pollution
Reduce emissions to reduce pollution• Regulatory (laws)• Voluntary
Increase public understanding of air pollution• Support laws and regulations• Increase chance of behavior change
Background
Goals:
• Air Quality Index (AQI) creates consistency • Links concentrations to health effects and actions
• Ranges from 1 to 500; 101+ is unhealthy
AQI Values
AQI Category(Descriptor)
AQI Color
0 - 50 Good Green
51 - 100 Moderate Yellow
101 - 150 Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
Orange
151 - 200 Unhealthy Red
201 - 300 Very Unhealthy Purple
301 - 500 Hazardous Maroon
•Actions depend on
– pollutant/ health effects– transport system – culture– incentives– economic level– education/outreach– climate– and more…
AQI of 129
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
Action:
Choose a cleaner commute; carpool, use public transportation, bike, or walk
8-hr ozone concentration of 87 ppb
Health Effects:
Irritated respiratory system, coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, or shortness of breath
Daily standard
Background
•AIRNow is a national framework for acquiring and distributing air quality information
– Collects, quality assures, and transfers real-time and forecasted air quality information to the public
– Gathers data provided by 120+ federal, state, and local air quality agencies
– Communicates air quality with the AQI– Issues weather/air quality news stories– Partners with national media– Provides air quality education and
outreach
Background
AIRNow Data Flow
Background
More Advanced Mapping
Current Real-Time Air Quality Maps
PM2.5 Bubble Map Ozone Contour Map
Goals for New Maps:• Accurate maps: Interpolated AQI is
consistent with observations at stations.
• Spatially complete maps: use statistical interpolation techniques to provide easy-to-read maps with information in areas without monitors
• Combined AQI maps: display the maximum AQI at each point, regardless of pollutant.
• A statistical technique tomask off areas with sparsemeasurements
Example PM2.5 map
More Advanced Mapping
Method of Map Development and Production• ESRI ArcGIS: a powerful multi-faceted map analysis and
production tool • Geostatistical Analyst and Spatial Analyst toolboxes in ArcGIS
– Provide a suite of interpolation techniques and error measures for evaluation
– Can be used to produce maps in real-time using the same techniques developed in this analysis.
• Map products are visually appealing, accurate, and easy to modify as needed
More Advanced Mapping (3 of 7)
Summary for all ozone cases
Results of Map Analysis: Ozone
Method RMS Error Std. Dev.
IDW 1.56 0.28
Kriging 6.56 1.64
Reg. Spline 5.24 2.20
Tension Spline 2.27 0.29
Constr. Kriging 1.77 0.29
IDW Kriging Regularized Spline Observations
Tension Spline Constrained Kriging Interpolation Error (ppb)
More Advanced Mapping (4 of 7)
• Select maximum AQI for each location• Produce AQI values for areas that are masked out for one
parameter, but not for another
Ozone with mask PM2.5 with mask
Combined AQI with mask
More Advanced MappingCombined AQI Maps
Animation of fused model and agency
forecasts
NOAA Model Max Agency Max
More Advanced Mapping
Data Fusion: Integrating multiple sources of air quality information• Station observations and model output• Agency forecasts and model predictions (example below)
Observed Max
AIRNow-International
– Ground-up redesign of the U.S. AIRNow system• Transitioning from Oracle to Microsoft SQL Server• New GIS-based Mapping System (AIRNow Mapper)• Information Services (Service-Oriented Architecture
approach)– RSS, CAP, KML, NETCDF, SMS text messages
– Provides new, international features:• Multiple language support• World-wide mapping capability
– Built with open components that can be adopted by any state, country or province
Administrationof the
System
AIRNow
Data
Management
System
(DMS)
AIRNow
Information
ServiceAIRNow
MapperWeb
Service
AIRNow Database
DataFiles Web Services*
DataFiles*
Maps*Image layers*
Data Inputs Processing, QA, Reporting Outputs
*Outputs will conform to standards to promote
sharing and interoperability
= file
= web service
= module
= data/info transfer
AIRNow-International
• Supports and embraces the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) concept– Group on Earth Observations is a voluntary partnership of governments
and international organizations– Interconnecting existing and future Earth observation systems
• AIRNow-International can helpcountries participate in the sharingof air quality data
AIRNow-International
Party Favors
• Access to current air quality conditions and forecasts is important. (e.g. reduces emissions, saves lives).
• AIRNow provides the framework for doing this.
• A new AIRNow system (AIRNow-International) is improving this access through more advanced mapping and data distribution techniques.
• AIRNow-International is linked into the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS) in order to promote air quality data sharing worldwide so that people can breathe clean air everywhere (especially urban populations).
Contact Information
Scott Jackson
US EPA
AIRNow Program – www.airnow.gov
919-541-5647