Use of Remotely-Sensed Data in the Development and Improvement of Emission Inventories

This paper explores the use of satellite imagery and aerial photography in the development and improvement of emission inventories. E.H. Pechan & Associates, Inc. and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality have used remotely-sensed data in the development of emission inventories for particulate matter less than 10 microns (PM10) and in the development of border area inventories for toxic and criteria air pollutants. Satellite imagery has been used to develop detailed land use data to support the development of bottom-up emission estimates for windblown dust and agricultural sources. These data have also been used to develop refined spatial surrogates for use in emissions modeling. Additional uses of remotely-sensed data in the development and improvement of emission inventories are explored. These uses include aerial photography in the quality assurance of geo-coded point source locations, satellite imagery/aerial photography in the identification of important land use features (e.g. disturbed natural areas), and satellite imagery in the development of temporal distributions in crop cover and related emissions. The availability, capabilities, and costs of different remotely-sensed data products are also described