{"id":779509,"date":"2024-03-25T12:17:51","date_gmt":"2024-03-25T17:17:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=779509"},"modified":"2024-03-25T12:17:51","modified_gmt":"2024-03-25T17:17:51","slug":"early-adopters-of-nasas-pace-data-to-study-air-quality-ocean-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=779509","title":{"rendered":"Early Adopters of NASA\u2019s PACE Data to Study Air Quality, Ocean Health"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

5 min read<\/p>\n

Early Adopters of NASA\u2019s PACE Data to Study Air Quality, Ocean Health<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

From the atmosphere down to the surface of the ocean, data from NASA\u2019s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite benefits ecosystems, human health, and underrepresented communities.<\/p>\n

Years before the launch in February 2024, mission leaders from NASA teamed with dozens of applied scientists and environmental professionals to prepare for the many practical uses that could be informed by PACE data. PACE\u2019s Early Adopter program integrates science data into business, environmental management, and decision-making activities to benefit society.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
<\/figure>
\n
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with NASA\u2019s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft stands vertical at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Feb. 5, 2024. PACE is NASA\u2019s newest Earth-observing satellite that will help increase our understanding of Earth\u2019s oceans, atmosphere, and climate by delivering hyperspectral observations of microscopic marine organisms called phytoplankton as well new data on clouds and aerosols.<\/div>\n
SpaceX<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The researchers specialize in a wide range of topics including water resources, fisheries and aquaculture, air quality and health, climate, and agriculture. These early adopters of the science provide a bridge between the PACE team and local communities and decision-makers who need accessible products for public use. Such work can help connect the new frontier of PACE\u2019s hyperspectral and multi-angular polarimetric data to real-world problems \u2013 and find new ways to address challenges.<\/p>\n

Helping Coastal Communities Keep Fisheries Safe<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In coastal communities, knowing the quality of the water is essential for ecosystem health, safe and sustainable seafood, and recreation \u2013 not to mention human livelihoods that depend on fisheries.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>
\n
Phytoplankton are microscopic organisms that live in watery environments. When conditions are right, phytoplankton undergo explosive population growth, creating blooms visible from space. Such a bloom occurred in the North Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Newfoundland in early August 2010. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA\u2019s Terra satellite captured this natural-color image on Aug. 9, 2010. The paisley pattern of peacock blue owes its color to phytoplankton.<\/div>\n
Credit: NASA\/Goddard\/Jeff Schmaltz\/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Marina Marrari, executive director of the Costa Rican Fishing Federation in San Jos\u00e9 is one of PACE\u2019s early adopters. Marrari and her colleagues developed a mobile app that will pull in data from PACE\u2019s Ocean Color Instrument to help inform the public about harmful algal blooms. Known as pezCA, the app distributes near real-time data about ocean temperature, chlorophyll concentration, and currents as measured by other NASA satellites. Once PACE data is available, the app will be updated to include a product on specific types of harmful algal blooms that can have toxic effects on people and animals.<\/p>\n

Bringing Air Quality Alerts to the Midwest<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Information on air quality and airborne particles (aerosols) is typically available for dense urban areas like Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New York. Marcela Lor\u00eda-Salazar, assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, plans to use data from PACE\u2019s polarimeters and OCI to study air quality in locations in the middle of the United States, where there tend to be fewer ground-based monitors.<\/p>\n

Urban pollution emissions, desert dust, and smoke from wildfires can travel from distant places \u2013 across continents or even oceans. (Think of the wildfire smoke that can blow from Alaska and Canada into the central U.S.) PACE gathers global data on this dust and smoke in Earth\u2019s atmosphere every one to two days, and that data is open access \u2013 meaning it is available for anyone to find and download free from the Internet.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/figure>
\n
Smoke from Canadian wildfires drifts slowly south over the United States\u2019 Midwest. The drifting smoke can be seen in this Terra satellite image taken in December 2017 over Lake Michigan, as well as parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio. <\/div>\n
NASA MODIS Rapid Response Team \/ Jeff Schmaltz<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Lor\u00eda-Salazar and her team can use this information to track aerosols, studying how they change as they move over land, change altitude, and interact with other atmospheric particles. Her goal is to better understand how these aerosols affect human health when they\u2019re inhaled. Her team works with the Oklahoma state government to develop solutions to improve air quality decision-making.<\/p>\n

She also works with tribal nations to help inform air quality decisions in their communities. For example, setting prescribed fires is a traditional activity to preserve ecosystems, but the fires do put smoke into the air. By using satellite data, tribal managers can make better-informed decisions about the potential risk of acute smoke exposure on a given day.<\/p>\n

Tracking Health of Marine Mammal Ecosystems<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Phytoplankton are the center of the marine food web. These microscopic organisms are food for bigger animals like zooplankton, fish, and shellfish \u2013 and ultimately whales and dolphins. While PACE can\u2019t directly detect fish or mammals below the surface of the ocean, it can view communities of phytoplankton, which can inform scientists about the ocean ecosystem in which fish and mammals live.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"Centered<\/figure>
\n
Liz Ferguson on the coast of the oceans where she studies marine mammals.<\/div>\n
Courtesy of Liz Ferguson<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

By examining phytoplankton, scientists can gain valuable insights into changes occurring within marine habitats, as these microorganisms often serve as early indicators of regional ecosystem health. Liz Ferguson, CEO and marine ecologist for Ocean Science Analytics, studies marine mammals off the Pacific Coast of North America.<\/p>\n

Monitoring plankton communities enhances scientists\u2019 ability to perceive the intricate dynamics within marine ecosystems.\u00a0By closely monitoring shifts in environmental variables and the behavior of indicator species such as marine mammals, Ferguson can study the impact of climate change on the California current\u2019s ecosystems.<\/p>\n

Doubling Up Satellite Data<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Some species of phytoplankton produce toxins that can be dangerous for humans, pets, and livestock. When these phytoplankton multiply to large numbers, it\u2019s called a harmful algal bloom.<\/p>\n

Richard Stumpf and Michelle Tomlinson, oceanographers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), use satellite data to study these blooms and help inform communities about their risks. They have been using data from the Ocean and Land Color Instrument on the European Space Agency\u2019s Sentinel-3 satellite, which captures Earth data by measuring certain wavelengths of light. PACE\u2019s Ocean Color Instrument sensor does the same, but as a hyperspectral instrument, it can detect more than 200 wavelengths \u2013 more than five times the number observed by Sentinel-3 and other current instruments.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/figure>
\n
Richard Stumpf examines water from plankton net tows in Lake Erie taken in early summer 2023. A net tow concentrates plankton from the water making it easier to identify what is present, particularly when a bloom is developing. The middle jar is the unfiltered lake water, the top one is from an area that has mostly zooplankton (microscopic animals), and the bottom (greenish) one has cyanobacteria. <\/div>\n
Courtesy of Richard Stumpf<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

PACE data can help Stumpf and Tomlinson continue their research on how the color of harmful algal blooms change over time and space. Choosing specific wavelengths of data from PACE can also help verify the data from Sentinel-3 and extend the long-term data record.<\/p>\n

The hyperspectral capabilities of PACE can allow scientists and environmental managers to not only spot emerging blooms, but also identify the specific communities of phytoplankton that make up the bloom. Detecting these details helps scientists better inform local water managers about the location, timing, and type of harmful algal blooms, which can help mitigate risks to the public.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

About the Author<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n

Erica McNamee<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Share<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n