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Air Quality

From ground-level ozone to particulate matter to nitrogen dioxide, an array of gasses and particles can affect the air people breathe, with implications for human health.

2022-11-01 00:00:00

An Earth Observatory Collection

Hazy Skies in a Growing City
7 min read

Chiang Mai, a city in northern Thailand popular with tourists, faces seasonal spikes in air pollution. Â

Apr 7, 2024
Filling an Air Pollution Data Gap
9 min read

Many cities have shortages of air quality monitors. NASA scientists have developed a tool called GEOS-CF that can help.

Nov 29, 2023
A Hazy November in Northern India
4 min read

Even with fewer fires than normal in fall 2023, poor air quality plagued the region.

Nov 20, 2023
A Wall of Dust in the Tarim Basin
2 min read

Flanked by mountain ranges on three sides, the basin in northwestern China sees frequent dust storms.

Nov 13, 2023
An Unequal Air Pollution Burden at School
8 min read

Satellite observations show that students of color in the U.S. attend public schools with higher concentrations of air pollution than…

Oct 31, 2023
A Smoky May for North America
5 min read

Fierce fires in Canada are the source of smoke that has swirled across much of the continent.

May 24, 2023
How Dust Affects the World’s Health
5 min read

NASA research finds that a combination of windblown dust and human-caused particle pollution was associated with nearly 3 million premature…

Mar 16, 2023
Nitrogen Dioxide in the Neighborhood
4 min read

A team of scientists mapped nitrogen dioxide in California’s air at the neighborhood scale and found hotspots of the air…

Mar 6, 2023
Dust Blows Across the U.S. Southwest
2 min read

In the wake of a cold front, strong winds lofted dust into the air over northern Mexico, eastern New Mexico,…

Feb 28, 2023
Snow and Haze in Utah
5 min read

Snowy surfaces increase the chance of temperature inversions, which contribute to air quality problems in the Salt Lake City area.

Feb 15, 2023
Sichuan’s Smoggy Basin
4 min read

The waters of an ancient lake once pooled in this basin in southwestern China. Now haze and air pollution do…

Feb 1, 2023
Winter Sandstorm in China
3 min read

A rare December sandstorm in China darkened skies in several cities.

Dec 13, 2022
Smoky Skies in Northern India
4 min read

Seasonal fires and a mix of other pollutants darkened skies in Delhi and beyond.

Nov 2, 2022
Fuel Regulation Reduced Air Pollution from Shipping
4 min read

A global standard limiting sulfur in ship fuel reduced artificial “ship track” clouds to record-low levels in 2020. Pandemic-related disruptions…

Oct 18, 2022
Clearer View of Great Lakes Air Quality
4 min read

Scientists and regulators are using satellite data and custom models from NASA to help monitor ozone pollution.

Jul 27, 2022
A Global Decline in Carbon Monoxide
5 min read

The widespread adoption of cleaner-burning technologies and declines in fire activity over the past two decades has drawn down global…

May 25, 2022
No Breathing Easy for City Dwellers: Particulates
5 min read

A new satellite-derived dataset links concentrations of fine particulate matter in air pollution with health outcomes in cities around the…

Mar 14, 2022
No Breathing Easy for City Dwellers: Nitrogen Dioxide
4 min read

A new satellite-derived global dataset links concentrations of nitrogen dioxide with cases of pediatric asthma in urban areas around the…

Mar 13, 2022
An Extra Air Pollution Burden
5 min read

New research shows that neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., with more people of color are exposed to more air pollution and…

Nov 8, 2021
Scientific Questions Arrive in Ports
6 min read

Satellite observations of nitrogen dioxide near key U.S. ports suggest that increased shipping activity and backlogs may be affecting air…

Oct 27, 2021
COVID-19 Lockdowns Cut Pollution, But Not All of It
5 min read

Dust storms and other weather phenomena offset some reductions in PM 2.5 aerosol pollution.

Jun 25, 2021