| Abstract: | Aerosols and particulate matter pose significant health and environmental impacts to humans and ecosystems. Environmental and public health organizations have developed methods to identify aerosol impacts, develop policy, and create aerosol air quality forecasts. Research satellite observations and atmospheric models have provided new insights on aerosol distribution, interactions with climate change, and the regional-to-global transport of aerosols and other pollutants. In addition, the research, observations, models, and analytic techniques to characterize aerosols have also provided national-to-local air quality managers with advanced methods to identify aerosol transport and forecast pollution episodes. While aerosols were once thought to be a local air quality issue, there is greater awareness of the regional, continental, and intercontinental transport of aerosols. Internationally, the United Nations Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution has established a task force to characterize air pollution transport and establish scientific guidance for international policy and protocols. Given the international sources of aerosols, long-range transport, and climate change impacts, international solutions are needed to help achieve national air quality goals and protect public health.This paper will present the use of satellite observations to characterize aerosols, complement ground measurements, and inform air quality forecasts. It will discuss aerosol transport in air quality forecasting and issues related to air quality, aerosols, and climate change. Finally, the paper will describe the use of satellite observations and models to support the United Nations task force and international policy efforts to address long-range transport of air pollution. |
