Remote Sensing of Air Pollution in Ukraine

This chapter is focused on remote sensing monitoring of air quality in Ukraine and spatiotemporal distribution of air pollution before and after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. The results are based on the Sentinel-5 Precursor (5P) data for the period since 2019 till the end of 2022 collected and processed by Ukrainian researchers at Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute. First part of the chapter describes the applied practice of satellite data use including the description of a fully automated system for operational monitoring of air quality based on Sentinel-5P satellite observations developed for Ukraine. The second part is dedicated to the main insights of air pollution in Ukraine prior to the Russian-Ukrainian war with the emphasis on regional and local emission sources; spatial distribution of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), formaldehyde (CH2O) and sulfur dioxide (SO2); their variability; and intercomparison of air quality between European countries. The third part of the chapter discusses main remotely visible changes of NO2 and CO distribution during the war, focusing on the most crucial military events and their consequences. Overall, the chapter presents a brief overview of air pollution in Ukraine that can help to summarize its baseline and the negative consequences of the war, which became a tragical case study for assessing the possibilities of remote sensing to provide valuable information for environmental studies.