Dusting Off GES DISC Data
June 26, 2014
A massive dust storm covered much of China this past April, turning the air brown and creating health hazards. Much of the data about this monster storm were provided by SESDA 3 scientists and engineers working at the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC), who support numerous missions that provide a wide range of critical global climate data.
For example, a number of near-real-time (NRT) data products from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on the Aqua satellite provide information about the onset of dust storms. The “AIRS Dust Score” is one of these AIRS NRT products. The AIRS Dust Score numerical scale is a qualitative representation of the presence of dust in the atmosphere, and an indication of where large dust storms may form and the areas that may be affected. The Dust Score and other AIRS NRT products are fed to the NASA Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Land Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE). These NRT products can be visualized using the GES DISC AIRS NRT Data MapViewer and can be overlain with data products from other instruments and satellites in Worldview, an EOSDIS tool that allows users to interactively browse global, full-resolution satellite imagery and then download the underlying data.
An AIRS image from late April showing the massive atmospheric dust concentrations in China (the large orange and red area on the right side of the map) during the dust storm. NASA image.
Visit http://disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/featured-items/april_2014_dust_storm_in_China to read more about these tools and services.
