28 The Air Quality Aware app, available in ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World, combines air quality data with Census Bureau data about vulnerable populations. of that data, EPA scientist Karoline Barkjohnand and a team at the Pacific Northwest Research Station then built a correction equation to make the PurpleAir data more accurate, leveraging data from co-located sensors as well as local historical temperature and relative humidity measurements. The final Fire and Smoke Map, built using ArcGIS software, applies a range of filters to the open data it gets from PurpleAir. It removes questionable data when sensor readings disagree, applies the correction equation, and displays the single AQI score, which is averaged over time using an EPA formula called NowCast. Flame icons indicate where fires are reported to be burning, based on data from the US National Interagency Fire Center and automated satellite fire detection. Fire data also appears in NOAA’s Hazard Mapping System as well as the Active Wildfire Map by Esri, which uses weather and wind models to track and forecast smoke. Click on any sensor reading on the Fire and Smoke Map and a pop-up box appears, showing the AQI for PM2.5 at that location. Users can scroll to see data that can help them plan outdoor activities and receive suggested actions to consider taking based on the AQI. In some cases, indicators and graphs show whether air quality is improving or worsening. On smoky days, the site may remind people to wear masks, close windows, or stay indoors. The Future of Air Mapping The hybrid approach of the Fire and Smoke Map suggests other tantalizing combinations. For instance, the Air Quality Aware app, available in ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World, combines air quality data with Census Bureau data, which could help local leaders locate vulnerable populations, such as asthma sufferers, and adjust public health efforts accordingly. Others are also tapping into PurpleAir’s data to map air quality risks and find new insights. In 2022, Esri solution engineers used ArcGIS Velocity, the big data analysis capability of ArcGIS Online, to build a proof of concept map that can send out air hazard alerts, helping school officials plan outdoor activities on smoggy days. After combining PM2.5 information from PurpleAir and EPA’s AirNow on a map of the Bay Area, the team added elementary schools, using a layer from ArcGIS Living Atlas. With the incident detection tool in Velocity, the team then set up email notifications that are triggered when PM 2.5 concentrations around any of the schools reach unhealthy levels.
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