Satellite-Based Remote Sensing

Advances in satellite remote sensingSatelliteremote sensing technology now enable observations of the atmosphere with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution, allowing satellites to be used as a complement to ground level air quality monitoring. Nonetheless, the integration of satellite observations into air quality management in Southeast AsiaSatelliteinstrumentsSoutheast Asia is in its early stages. This situation is projected to change as GEMS, the first geostationary satelliteGeostationary satellites mission designed to support air quality management in Asia, already provides continuous monitoring of a suite of atmospheric pollutants at fine spatial resolution across nearly the entire region of Southeast Asia. This chapter discusses how satellite-based remote sensing enables the tracking of air pollution patterns in urban and suburban areas, the transport of plumes from large individual emission sources and biomass burning, the production of ozone and other secondary pollutants downwind, and the improvement of emission inventories and air quality forecasting. The studies that have used satellite products to examine the distribution of pollutants over the region or the impact of specific events are also reviewed.