Amanda Fritz

Satellite data plays an essential role in the daily work of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP). As Connecticut continues to experience the worst air quality along the U.S. East Coast, satellite observations help support the evaluation of emission control strategies and fill gaps between regulatory ground-based monitoring stations. In addition to long-range transport of ozone and particulate matter from upwind states, Connecticut has faced increasing impacts from wildfire smoke in recent years. To better track these events, CT DEEP uses a combination of daily polar-orbiting satellite products, GOES visible imagery, and TEMPO fire and aerosol products to monitor smoke plumes and provide early public warning. Beyond smoke tracking, TEMPO’s near–real time NO2 product is valuable for improving air quality forecasting, and TEMPO’s hourly daytime measurements enable a deeper analysis of air pollution events. These high-frequency data help characterize rapid changes in air pollution patterns and validate CT DEEP’s modeling and forecasting tools. Overall, satellite observations have become a versatile resource for CT DEEP’s air quality management and public health protection efforts.