SAMIRA (SAtellite-based Monitoring Initiative for Regional Air quality) was implemented between 2016 and 2019 with funding from ESA/ESRIN. The project aimed to enhance regional and local air quality monitoring by combining data from existing and upcoming Earth observation satellites, in situ air quality networks, and outputs from chemical transport models.
The project focused on improving aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrievals from the SEVIRI sensor with high temporal resolution, developing methods to downscale satellite information to finer spatial scales using geostatistical approaches and high-resolution model outputs, and converting satellite-derived AOD data into PM2.5 concentration maps. SAMIRA also worked on creating data fusion products integrating operational satellite observations of pollutants such as SO2 and NO2.
Building on a prototype system developed under ESA’s SiAiR project, SAMIRA advanced it into a pre-operational system capable of producing more accurate PM10 forecasts over Norway, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Romania. In addition, the project incorporated in situ measurements to extend satellite data assimilation capabilities to platforms such as MODIS, Sentinel-3, Sentinel-5P, and METEOSAT. By integrating multiple observational and modeling approaches, SAMIRA improved the accuracy, temporal coverage, and operational relevance of air quality monitoring in the region.