• Question: How do you measure the level of pollution in the air?

    Asked by anon-223735 to Kate, Anastasia on 18 Nov 2019.
    • Photo: Kate Winfield

      Kate Winfield answered on 18 Nov 2019: last edited 18 Nov 2019 4:19 pm


      There are a few different ways we can measure air pollution. One way is using instruments on the ground, using chemical analysers. The other ways is to use satellites orbiting Earth. Sentinel 5P dedicated to monitoring air pollution. Its instrument is an ultraviolet, visible, near and short-wavelength infrared spectrometer called Tropomi. In other words a very complex instrument! Additionally, the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) collects information about particles in our air. These particles include smoke particles from wildfires; airborne dust during dust and sand storms; urban and industrial pollution; and ash from erupting volcanoes. Ground level ozone can also be measured by the JPSS series of satellites. Also the GOES-R Series satellites can provide particle pollution measurements approximately every five minutes during the day.

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