Correlating seasonal averaged in-situ monitoring of fine PM with satellite remote sensing data using geographic information system (GIS)

Satellite remote sensing data are another source of information to study air quality, supplementing the in situ monitoring networks. Satellite data have primarily been used to study specific events that affect air quality, such as wildfires, biomass burning, dust storms, and volcanoes. In this exploratory analysis we have used the monthly averaged aerosol optical depth (AOD) product of the MODIS sensor data from the Terra satellite platform to study fine particulate matter throughout the contiguous U.S. While most of the previous quantitative work has focused on hourly correlations between in situ monitors and satellite AOD data, we have attempted to quantify monthly, seasonal, and annual correlations. Our analysis of 2001 monthly data found that correlations do exist, but not throughout the entire study period or area. The best correlations were seen in the northeast and industrial Midwest during the summer months.