Citizens Scientists Help NASA Study Pollution

Citizens scientists in Fort Collins are helping NASA map air pollution with better accuracy than its satellites in space can do alone.

The project, run by Colorado State University is known CEAMS. That stands for Citizen-Enabled Aerosol Measurements for Satellites.

John Volckens, also a professor of mechanical engineering.

Volckens explains that air pollution is a huge global problem and especially in the western US, where we struggle with wildfire smoke many times each year.

And while NASA's space satellites can measure ground level pollution, it needs data on the ground to model those images and interpret the information.

"CEAMS was started as a way to develop cutting edge data sets."

The pilot program has revealed positive findings in that citizens make great scientists sending information and educating themselves about air pollution.

CEAMS is supported by a grant from NASA and may be eligible for a second round of funding for more research. The inexpensive devices used by citizens scientists will be the subject of our next report.