EarthSense Systems – a joint venture between the University of Leicester and aerial mapping company BlueSky - has published MappAir® – the first ever high resolution nationwide map of air pollution.
EarthSense Systems – a joint venture between the University of Leicester and aerial mapping company BlueSky - has published MappAir® – the first ever high resolution nationwide map of air pollution.
Combining data from satellites and its own air quality monitoring sensors together with open source data, EarthSense has used complex modelling techniques to create the highly accurate map. Initially available for the whole of the UK at 100 metre resolution, MappAir® shows how air pollution, specifically nitrogen dioxide, changes across the country and within towns and cities, highlighting likely sources and potential clean-air refuge areas.
“Air pollution is making headlines across the world for all the wrong reasons,” commented James Eddy, Managing Director of EarthSense Systems. “However, there simply isn’t enough data available for those charged with tackling the issue to make informed decisions. MappAir® can provide a street-view to city-wide visualisation of air pollution, and is the first in a series of nationwide products that are coming to market in the next year.”
Using the British National Grid, EarthSense has divided the UK into 100 metre squares – about twice the size of an average football pitch. Air pollution readings from satellites and its own Zephyr air quality monitoring sensors were combined with open data, including traffic emissions and weather conditions, to produce an annual average for each cell. The MappAir® data is available to view and purchase online at www.blueskymapshop.com.
Read more at University of Leicester
Image: The nationwide map of air pollution by EarthSense. (Credit: Image courtesy of University of Leicester)
