The Institute of Environmental Science and Technology Collaborates with NASA for Joint Air Quality Study in Asia

Utilizing Ships, Ground, Aviation, and Satellites
Three-Dimensional Air Quality Observation...Proposing Improvement Measures

The National Institute of Environmental Research under the Ministry of Environment announced on the 18th that it will conduct the "Asia Air Quality Joint Survey" (ASIA-AQ) with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from the 19th through March.

The joint survey involves the Institute, NASA, as well as over 40 domestic and international institutions including the National Institute of Meteorological Sciences, Korea University, Yonsei University, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, and Princeton University, with more than 500 scientists participating. The survey target areas include not only South Korea but also Asian countries such as the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand.

The Institute previously conducted the "Korea-US Air Quality International Joint Survey" (KORUS-AQ) with NASA once in 2016. Unlike then, this time Korea's environmental satellite (GEMS), launched in 2020, will be utilized.

The observation range of the environmental satellite covers air quality in 22 countries, stretching east to west from Japan to India, and north to south from southern Mongolia to Sumatra, Indonesia. During the joint survey period, air quality in Asia will be observed eight times a week.

Douglas DC-8

In addition to the environmental satellite, advanced equipment owned by the Institute and NASA will also be deployed. While the environmental satellite observes air quality from a geostationary orbit at an altitude of 36,000 km, ground-level air quality is measured by ground observation stations such as the Gyeonggi Air Quality Research Institute, Baengnyeongdo Air Quality Research Institute, Korea University, and NASA's DC-8, which is called the "flying laboratory."

The DC-8 is an approximately 48-meter-long aircraft used for air quality observation. For international cases, the domestic research team jointly participates in NASA's aerial observations to conduct air quality surveys in various Asian regions.

The ground research team has installed a ground observation station in Chiang Mai, Thailand, to investigate the causes and impacts of winter smog, and a remote observation station in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to verify the environmental satellite.

After observations, both organizations will jointly publish related research papers, preliminary comprehensive reports for policymakers, and final reports based on the survey results, and will also participate in analyzing results from other Asian countries such as the Philippines.

Understanding Air Pollution Status and Causes... World’s First Verification of Geostationary Environmental Satellite Performance

The primary goal of this survey is to understand the current status and causes of air pollution. Researcher Jang Im-seok from the Institute explained, "Thanks to the efforts of the public and government over the past few years, the period of 'high pollution' has passed, but the period of 'moderate pollution' continues," adding, "This is why a large-scale campaign for air quality measurement is necessary."

Another major goal is to accurately identify the inflow pathways of air pollutants. Researcher Jang said, "There is still much debate about whether pollutants come in as gases, aerosols, from the upper atmosphere, or from the lower atmosphere."

Verification of the environmental satellite's observation values is also one of the goals of this survey. To properly utilize satellite observation data, it is necessary to confirm through ground observations whether the observed values match reality. This joint survey is expected to serve as a platform to verify the performance of the environmental satellite and air pollution prediction models.

Yoo Myung-soo, head of the Climate and Atmospheric Research Division at the Institute, stated, "After this joint survey, we will share observation results through academic conferences (workshops), and in the long term, support air quality management policies by identifying causes of air pollution not only in the metropolitan area but across Asia."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.