1. NASA and NAAPS Products for Air Quality Decisions
PI: D. Westphal, Naval Research Lab.
Sub-Project Summary:
Exceptional Event Decision Support System (EE DSS)
Co-PI, R. Husar, Washington University
For briefing purposes submitted to NASA, EPA
NASA Applied Sciences Program, Health and Air Quality (J. Haynes, L. Friedl)
EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (N. Frank, M. Evangelista)
R. Husar, Nov 18, 2012

2. AQ Decision Support System - DataFed
• Since 2005, the NASA Applied Sciences Program supported Washington University to develop
and to apply an AQ Decision Support System (AQ DSS) to aid AQ management and science.
• The latest project, NASA and NAAPS Products for Air Quality Decisions (PI D. Westphal, NRL,
Co-I R. Husar) is to demonstrate the application of NASA satellite data and the Navy Aerosol
Analysis and Prediction System (NAAPS) model to AQ management, specifically to Exceptional
Event Decision Support (EE DSS).
• The EE DSS with the NASA satellite and NAAPS model products is now ready to serve AQ
management at the Federal, Region and State level. Discussions with stakeholders confirmed
that application of the EE DSS to smoke and dust events in 2012 would be timely, beneficial
and directly applicable to AQ management needs.
• This briefing PPT illustrates the DSS as it is applied for event analysis. It serves as a background
to All the data access, processing and graphics was performed using the DSS.
•

3. Exceptional Event Flags, 2006-2012
The spatial distribution of EE flags attributed to Mexican and Canadian fires (left). EE flags attributed to prescribed and wild
fires within the US (right). The time series below each map shows the number of flags throughout the country for each day.
The spatial distribution of EE flags attributed to African and Asian dust. (left). EE flags attributed to dust origination within the US(right).

4. EE Flag Decline, Expected Increase in 2012
Drought
Anomaly,
2012
Trend of EE flags for PM2.5between 2006 and 2012 However, in 2012 the average AOT from smoke
based on the official EPA AQS database. The EE was higher than any year between 2006 and 2012,
flags declined tenfold between 2007-8 and 2010-11 probably due the severe drought. The EE flags for
2012 are expected to rise again in 2012.

5. Trend of PM2.5 Concentration
2000-2003 avg. 2009-2012 avg.
>35 ug/m3 station count
A reason for the 2006-2010 EE flag decline is the As a result of PM2.5 decline, the number of
overall reduction in PM2.5 concentrations. >35ug/m3 samples has also declined dramatically.
No NAAQS exceedances-no EE flag.

6. Smoke Super-Events in 2012:
June 20- July 10 August 1- August
20 20
Average Smoke
Emission Rate
Average Smoke
Optical Depth
Average Smoke Surface
Concentration

7. Dust Event Analysis
A significant fraction of the dust vertical column is in the troposphere and it is ‘global’
Most of surface dust is local and highly variable in space and time
The NAAPS Model can help separating local and ‘global’ dust but much work is needed

8. EE DSS Tools: Data System Architecture
• Data are accessible from the Air Quality Data Network (ADN) by the AQ Community Catalog
• ADN is facilitated by the GEO AQ Community of Practice (GEO AQ CoP), including R. Husar’s group.
• The generic client tools (red boxes) are for processing and visualization; used in many applications
• Specialized Application Tools are dedicated to specific applications, e.g. event detection

9. EE DSS Tools:
Automatic Event Screening & Detection
EUS Daily 50%-ile, 30 day 50%-ile
Average smoothing
Event : Deviation > x*percentile
Deviation from %-ile
Spatial event screening: e.g. smoke surface Temporal event screening: e.g. smoke surface
conc. > 10 ug/m3 conc. > x percentile of ‘normal’ values.

10. EE DSS Tools: Event Consoles
• An array of space-time synced
maps of EE-relevant data.
• Similar to the weather
forecaster’s "meteorological
wall”
• For any data layer in the pool,
user selects region, time range
• Animations and Google Earth
displays for exploration,
comparisons.

11. EE DSS Tools: Vertical Cross Section Views
• Vertical dust plume cross sections at about 120 (surface plume) and 1000 km (elevated plume).
• Knowing the vertical structure of smoke and dust plumes is critical to EE documentation
• The DataFed Browser now incorporates vertical cross section views

12. Project Outcome for EPA, States: Project Outcome for NASA
Current EE analysis: Current Readiness Level 7:
State-by-State; ad hoc, Official EEs DSS Functionality Demonstrated
From Local, ad hoc, to From demonstrated
national EE detection, functionality to proven
analysis, documentation functionality of EE DSS
Final EE analysis: Final Readiness Level 8:
National EE detection, analysis, DSS Functionality Proven; NASA
documentation; forecast, NRT, post satellite and NAAPS products in use
analysis for smoke & dust events

13. Planning for 2013
A possible telecon on the EE DSS activities in 2013?
• NASA Applied Sci. Program: J. Haynes, L. Friedl (?) -Data providers,
• EPA OAQPS: N. Frank, M. Evangelista - Application managers for EE DSS
• Project PIs : R. Husar, D. Westphal
Purpose:
• Share the respective perspectives, needs
• Coordinate activities in 2013
• Specify desired outputs/outcomes/schedule