Analysis & Tools

As well as in situ measurements, major components of the NEAQS 2002 project are forecasting and modeling analyses.

Forecasting. Air quality forecasts were used to plan the deployment of mobile sampling platforms (ship and aircraft). The availability of reliable forecasts improved the probability that mission goals were accomplished and increased the productivity of these expensive assets. Plymouth State provided timely meteorological forecasts and NOAA's High Resolution Temperature and Air Quality (TAQ) Forecasting program provided important forecasting products.

Modeling analyses. Air quality models are the main conduit for the transfer of scientific understanding of the atmospheric processes that control air quality to the management of air quality. The decisions and strategies developed by the regulatory and policy communities are only as good as these models are in describing the key atmospheric processes. The use of air quality models was an integral part of the analysis of data from both the long-term monitoring network and the intensive field campaigns. Models provide a very effective mechanism for integrating data sets from ground-based and airborne platforms.

Modeling and Forecasts
Climate/Weather
Research Platforms
NOAA R/V Ronald H. Brown
Observations/Surface Networks