Mapping Air Quality Data

1
Mapping Air Quality Data
point monitoring data
continuous surface of estimates (map)
spatial estimation methods
2
Mapping PM2.5 Concentrations

• Maps are useful for understanding the spatial and
  temporal pattern of PM2.5 concentrations
• Point monitoring data are used to estimate PM2.5
  maps
• The limited number of PM2.5 monitoring data
  requires the application of surrogate data (PM10
  and Visibility) in the mapping process

3
PM2.5 Spatial Estimation Method

• PM2.5 concentrations are spatially interpolated
  using measured PM2.5 data from the IMPROVE,
  CASTNet, AIRS, CARB, National PM Research
  Monitoring and Philadelphia networks
• Spatial interpolation involves an inverse squared
  distance method that incorporates
• visibility and PM10 surrogate data to aid
  interpolation between PM2.5 monitors
• mountain and mixing height barriers to prevent
  the spread of non-representative concentrations
• declustering to minimize biases from monitoring
  site clusters
• temporal variance to account for local source
  influenced monitors

4
PM2.5 Maps

• The spatial estimation method is applied to
• Quarterly PM2.5 concentrations over the U.S.
• Annual PM2.5 concentrations over the U.S.