SAMIRA

Project title:

SAtellite based Monitoring Initiative for Regional Air quality (SAMIRA)

General description:

The project aims at improving regional and local air quality monitoring through synergetic use of data from present and upcoming earth observation satellites, traditionally used in situ air quality monitoring networks and output from chemical transport models.  

Duration of the project:

  • 2016-2019.

Funding:

  • ESA/ESRIN

Partners:

  • Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), Norway; – Project coordinator 
  • Babeş-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania – Project partner 
  • INOE2000 – N. I. of R&D for Optoelectronics, Margurele, Romania, – Project partner
  • National Meteorological Administration, Bucharest, Romania – Project partner
  • Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Prague, Czech Republic – Project partner
  • University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland – Project partner

Expected Results:

  • provide improved AOD retrieval from SEVIRI with frequent temporal sampling, as it is required for continuous air quality monitoring; 
  • exploit methods for downscaling satellite information to higher spatial resolution using e.g. geostatistical methods and output from high resolution models;
  • develop algorithms to convert the SEVIRI‐based AOD data into PM2.5 maps; 
  • develop data fusion products based on satellite‐derived operational products of SO2 and NO2;
  • further develop an existing prototype system, built under the ESA SiAiR contract, into a preoperational system capable of producing more accurate PM10 forecasts over the Czech Republic, Norway, Poland, and Romania;
  • assimilate in‐situ data which will allow an extension to satellite data assimilation by adding processor(s) for e.g. MODIS, Sentinel‐3, Sentinel‐5P, and METEOSAT.