WUI fires are becoming increasingly more common in the U.S. and have destroyed more than 100,000 homes since 2005. Because these events are intensely concentrated both in time and space, they can produce exceptionally high local pollution, which has important implications for the air quality and public health of nearby urban areas. 

NASA has selected The Stratosphere Troposphere Response using Infrared Vertically-resolved light Explorer (STRIVE) to move to the next phase of development. Two researchers at the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR) contributed to the project. 

This past summer, if New Yorkers looked up from the hustle and bustle of urban life, they may have spotted a C-130 research aircraft flying above the skyscrapers. The plane was doing research flights over the tri-state area to collect data on urban air quality for a scientific research field campaign called GOTHAAM. No classic villains or superheroes here, just researchers studying the composition of the air in both the light and dark of the New York metro area.

Newly published research indicates that poor water quality can drastically affect air quality—an observation with important implications for global waterways.

From July 16 through August 31, a C-130 research aircraft will periodically fly over the tri-state area to collect data about air quality.