![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.fmi.fi\/ILMApilot\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/eu_aq17.jpg\")
Figure 1.\u00a0<\/span>Pollution map over Europe in January 2017 from OMI NO2 observations<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nSatellite-based observations offer the unique capabilities\u00a0to provide air quality information in one simple map.\u00a0Figure 1\u00a0shows the distribution\u00a0of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations during\u00a0January 2017 as seen from satellite-based retrievals. NO2 is a polluting gas, which is produced in combustion processes for example from car traffic, energy production and industrial activities.\u00a0The yellow-red colors in fig. 1\u00a0correspond to the areas mostly affected by bad air quality. The air quality conditions are especially bad in Germany, Poland and the Netherlands, while the pollution levels in Finland remained relatively low.\u00a0Currently, the\u00a0Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) provide the best available product for air quality monitoring on global and local scale.<\/p>\n
The communication office at the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) used satellite data to inform the public about the bad air quality conditions over\u00a0Europe through FMI website<\/a> and Twitter account.<\/p>\n This is just an example on how satellite data facilitate the\u00a0communication\u00a0to the public about air quality issues, using\u00a0images and\u00a0visual\u00a0communication.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On January 2017 very bad\u00a0air quality conditions\u00a0have been experienced over Central Europe. The reasons of such bad air quality levels\u00a0are related to the weather, which favoured the accumulation of air pollutants in certain areas in Europe. This exceptionally bad air quality conditions\u00a0were observed also from satellite-based instruments. Figure 1.\u00a0Pollution map over Europe in January 2017 … <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.fmi.fi\/ILMApilot\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Screen-Shot-2017-03-21-at-9.48.28.png\")
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