NASA and NOAA Team Up to Study Everyday Emissions through Low Altitude Flights

NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have partnered for the Atmospheric Emissions and reactions Observed from Megacities to Marine Areas (AEROMMA) project. Departing from traditional studies that prioritize transportation-related emissions, AEROMMA aims to investigate the impact of everyday products on air quality over densely populated North American cities. Using NASA's DC-8 aircraft, renowned as the largest flying science laboratory worldwide, scientists will conduct low-altitude flights over major urban centers such as Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Toronto. The primary focus is on studying urban emissions and their associated atmospheric chemical reactions, which significantly influence air quality and climate.Emission sources under scrutiny include personal care products, cleaning agents, smaller gas-burning devices, and landfills.

Unlike transportation pollution, which has reduced in certain areas, emissions from daily-use products remain a constant concern due to their widespread usage. Products like cleaning agents and personal care items release vapors into the atmosphere, often derived from fossil fuels, thereby affecting shared air quality. The AEROMMA project brings together airborne, ground, and satellite observing systems, along with state-of-the-art air quality and climate models, to quantify the flux of anthropogenic emissions over North American cities. Low-altitude DC-8 flights will be coordinated with NASA's Langley Research Center aircraft, operating at higher altitudes under the Synergistic Tempo Air Quality Science (STAQS) project. By collaborating with other complementary air quality studies, such as CUPiDS and GOTHAAM, AEROMMA scientists aim to create a synergistic observing system, maximizing the effectiveness of each mission. Safety will be paramount, overseen by NASA's experienced aircraft personnel, while NOAA's scientists will lead the scientific investigations, all in pursuit of advancing our understanding of anthropogenic pollution and its implications for the environment and public health.