Project Partner: NASA Langley Research Center, Summer 2026
Project Summary: Ground-level ozone is a harmful air pollutant that can irritate and damage the respiratory system. Because ozone is formed through chemical reactions in the atmosphere rather than emitted directly, reducing ozone pollution requires controlling its precursors. Models help forecast poor air quality and assess the potential impacts of intervention efforts, but they often struggle to reproduce the daily cycles of ozone precursors.
Kate partnered with NASA Langley Research Center to investigate potential causes of discrepancies between models and observations. Using Atlanta, Georgia, as a case study, she compared observations, model outputs, and emissions inventories for ozone precursors. She also analyzed the meteorological and geophysical conditions during data collection to better understand the factors driving daily variability.
Kate presented her findings to the Integrating Multiple Perspectives on Air Quality Team (IMPAQT) at NASA Langley and collaborated with them to identify directions for future research. Her work will help inform efforts to improve models and satellite retrievals of ozone precursors.
Project Deliverables:
- Visualization and analysis of remote sensing observations, output from atmospheric chemistry and composition models, and emissions inventories
- Presentation to the NASA IMPAQT group
Watch Kate’s URBAN Internship Lightning Talk here.