2024 News & Events

Last summer saw the largest coordinated air quality research campaign to date, bringing together researchers from NOAA, NASA, DoE, and multiple universities for a nationwide investigation of air pollution sources, emissions, and chemical transformations impacting the urban and marine atmosphere.

Last week, the many researchers involved in the sprawling AGES+ campaigns convened in Boulder, Colorado for a science team workshop hosted by NOAA CSL and held on the University of Colorado Boulder campus. The workshop was the first glimpse at the breadth of new research and insights arising from the campaigns, with sessions focused on Marine Science, Meteorology, Satellite Evaluation, Emissions & Inventories, and Chemical Transformations.

The AGES+ campaigns in 2023 included measurements spanning coast-to-coast encompassing hyperlocal ground-based observations, a network of instrumented ground sites, several NOAA and NASA research aircraft, and space-based observations from the recently launched >TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring Pollution) geostationary satellite to investigate persistent urban air quality challenges that have defied improvement despite several decades of emissions reductions and technology improvements. The projects were headlined by the NOAA-led Atmospheric Emissions and Reactions Observed from Megacities to Marine Areas (AEROMMA) airborne research campaign on-board the the NASA DC-8 and the NASA-led Synergistics TEMPO Air Quality Science (STAQS) mission operating two NASA Gulfstream aircraft.

Over 150 scientists from U.S. and international organizations attended last week's workshop. More information on the 2024 AGES+ Workshop, including the detailed agenda.