2001 EARTH SCIENCE VIDEOTAPES |
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Tape Title | Record ID | Date Produced | TRT: |
Synopsis |
| TRACKING SMOG: POLLUTION ACROSS INDONESIAN AND THE INDIAN OCEAN | G01-024 | 03/15/01 | 00:02:13 | Scientists have discovered that smoke and smog diverge and move in different ways through the atmosphere. The ability to track and understand how these pollutants spread will help to give advance warning of adverse air quality conditions, even as pollution crosses international boundaries. Emissions from fires in Indonesia in the second half of 1997 caused considerable air pollution throughout the Southeast Asian region. The particulate matter found in the smoke created widespread health problems not only in Indonesia, but also in Malaysia and Singapore. Researchers using data from NASA's Earth Probe TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) satellite instrument observed the smoke from these fires stagnating over Southeast Asia, while smog (tropospheric ozone) spread rapidly across the Indian Ocean towards India. This movement occurred after a series of unusual events, including a 1997 El Nino and changing atmospheric patterns, had already increased the thickness of smog over the region. The divergence in paths of smoke and ozone occurred because the pollutants were in different layers of the atmosphere. TOMS captured these movements, showing that biomass burning is powerful in smog creation, yet other climatic factors also play a major role in its creation and dispersal.
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TAPE CONTENTS: |
| ITEM (1): Ozone Levels Over Indonesia - Between July and October of 1997 the tropospheric ozone (smog) levels rose in the Indian Ocean and around southeast Asia. As well, smog from biomass burning in Africa traveled across the ocean, combining with Indonesian smog to create a smog canopy over the region, with the highest levels found on October 22, 1997. The red denotes high concentrations of ozone and the green color indicates lower levels. Smoke from fires is seen in white. Courtesy: NASA
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| ITEM (2): Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer Satellite - The Earth Probe Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) satellite instrument is the only instrument which tracks both smoke and smog. Its ozone mapping capabilities come from the instrument's abilities to monitor reflected ultraviolet light. Courtesy: NASA
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Earth Science Gallery