NASA ROSES08: Letter of Intent
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Objective
The objective of this project is to develop a decision-support system (DSS) for the implementation of the new Exceptional Event (EE) Rule, which permits States to flag air quality data caused by exceptional air pollution, such as forest fires and dust storms. The flags are considered in establishing the compliance with the National Air Quality Standards. The Rule requires States to document and quantify the exceptional source contributions. Based on the evidence, EPA decides if the EE flag is justified. Preparing and evaluating the EE evidence is a tedious and technically challenging task for the State and EPA offices.
Approach
In the proposed approach, a wide range of distributed data relevant to EE's will be integrated using the NASA-supported, federated data system, DataFed, which is built on GEOSS interoperability principles and architecture. Multi-sensory data (including MODIS, OMI, TOMS, GOCART) will be accessed through GIOVANNI and other data providers (EPA-AQS, VIEWS, AirNow, NAAPS, BlueSky, BAMS). The data processing for analysis will be through DataFed applications orchestrated from reusable, web service components.
The DataFed tools will allow the States and EPA users to explore and analyze data for specific EEs. Furthermore, a dedicated EE DSS tool will consist of a software package that facilitates the Preparation of EE reports by the States; Examination of the submitted reports by the Regional offices; Final verification and approval of EE flags by EPA.
Relevance to NASA and Other Benefits
The DSS tools for EEs will provide a formal venue for the incorporation of NASA Earth Science observations and models into AQ regulatory processes. For the States, the powerful EE tools will make the Event documentation easy and efficient. For EPA, the standardized DSS tools will make the decisions more consistent and robust. The data flow infrastructure for the EE DSS will also have broader benefits for the implementation of other SOA-based DSSs.