The EO Dashboard has multiple global maps for air quality and greenhouse gases in GeoTIFF file format. Your challenge is to create a spatial analysis and time series plotting tool for EO Dashboard air quality and greenhouse gas GeoTIFF datasets.
Our team chose the Spatial analysis and Time series challenge to work on for this hackathon. Our goal was to create a spatial analysis and time series plotting tool for EO Dashboard air quality and greenhouse gas GeoTIFF datasets. After gathering members from around the world with various skills that could help find a solution, we were ready to start with work. First, we started brainstorming ideas on how could we make this tool simpler, but more optional. We started working on the software development of our special tool, after that we wanted to create a unique and easy-to-use design for the tool. Our story-tellers were able to do an explanation on how we came to a successful solution.
Our challenge was to design an user-friendly and configurable tool for EO Dashboard Air Quality and greenhouse gas geoTIFF datasets. Allow us present to you the International Air-Observation Tool (IAOT)! Not only that our tool is more user – friendly, but it also contains all of the capabilities that the previous tool had and so much more! It’s design took a long thoughtful process so the users won’t have a problem while working with it. The International Air-Observation tool provides information and services on air quality, climate and the ozone layer. It can be used for many things, such as data assimilation, model validation, comparison with surface remote sensing observations or in-situ profile observations with aircraft, both for the troposphere or stratosphere. Furthermore the data may be used directly to visualize the day-to-day variations in NO2. Using IAOT is pretty interesting too!
For each retrieved NO2 column, the data product provides the corresponding averaging kernel, and the information needed to apply this kernel. The averaging kernel for DOAS retrievals is equal to the altitude-dependent air-mass factor (AMF) divided by the total AMF. Even if it has some missing unsolved spots we think our tool could be a great upgrade from the already existing tools. Not only it would calculate the statistical information, but it would also have the ability to modify the plot axis minimum and maximum values (for both the X [time] axis and Y [CO2 or NO2] axis), hide/show plot specific plot variable, download the calculated statistics as a comma separated value (.csv) file, change the color and symbol for the variables, plot two datasets on the same time series plot. We truly believe that IAOT is a newborn tool that would help not only us, but our future generations too!
Air pollution is not only a major health risk, it also has damaging impacts on the environment and agricultural crop yields. These impacts have significant economic consequences, affecting economic growth as well as welfare. While existing laws and policies have made progress in reducing air pollution in specific regions, further action is needed to bring air quality to safe levels. For example, some of the highest recorded levels of air pollution are in Asia Pacific countries. 2.3 billion people in the region are exposed to levels of air pollution several times.
While the sources of these pollutants vary by country, they are linked to only a handful of activities. Urban and heavily industrialized areas with high population densities have the highest levels of air pollution. It is important for us to raise the awareness, but we also have to keep track of the risk too.
To get a better view on the danger that is right in front of us, to find a way how to stop it, we need to have somekind of a device/tool that can help us with using some important data about air pollution and it’s level of concentration in different areas. This isn’t a risk only in one specific region, this is a risk that is very-well know everywhere in the world, especially after Covid-19.
A lot of tools and devices have been made for this specific reason, for example the ESA TROPOMI NO2 map. Although we’re fascinated by it’s unique design and the way it works, our team was thrilled to hear that we have an opportunity to create something new. After gathering the members and working for the past few days, we believe we have THE TOOL for you! The International Air Observation Tool (IAOT). With the help of a lot of resources that were given from NASA, ESA, JAXA, we were able to come up with something interesting. The IAOT has the ability to calculate statistical information, hide/show plot specific plot variable, change the color and symbol for the variables, plot two datasets on the same time series plot. For example, we want to know more about Italy's air pollution before and after Covid-19. Just by using our tool, typing your country, you can get all of the data that you need (that includes a visualised map where we can tell which places have been mostly affected by air pollution, full data of which element is mostly concentrated in the atmosphere in that certain area, how much precentage of the territory is affected, differences between countries and so much more!). Even though some of these traits aren't currently available on our "demo website", we say in full confidence this is the tool that everyone would need for this certain information. It took us a lot of brainstorming to come up with something valuable and effective. We strongly believe that IAOT is the right tool for this challenge. With a lot more guidance and time the tool can be made perfectly and on point.
You can find more information about our tool from the integrated links in the Earth Observing Dashboard.
Most of our data originates from the space agency resources. The links contained the exact information we were looking for! The data was well explained and it had a positive impact on our project. We used the space agency resources to find out more about the air pollution as a worldwide problem, the tool that we had to create, the options that the tool needs to have and etc. The given resources saved us a lot of time for doing the rest of the work that had to be done for our chosen challenge.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CYxgmhI52z-yvw_gg2Ij4QHiSMz8YqVN/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dLiAlujhfv9bGvy_XktjiME_JlCazxAS/view?usp=sharing [Sorry for the inconvenience. We are aware of the time limit. But we kindly request you to have a look at our video.]
#AirQuality #IAOT #CleanAir #TimeSeries #AirPollution
This project has been submitted for consideration during the Judging process.