High resolution satellite observations give new view of UK air quality

New state-of-the-art satellite measurements of tropospheric column NO2 from the TROPOMI instrument on-board Sentinel-5 Precursor (S5P), launched in October 2017, allow for an unprecedented high resolution (sub-10km) assessment of UK air quality (AQ) from space. We present the first results from TROPOMI and compare them with its predecessor, the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), to quantify previously unresolved UK pollution hotspots (e.g. Bristol, Southampton and Liverpool). The TROPOMI tropospheric column NO2 data represents a powerful new tool to quantify UK AQ, evaluate atmospheric composition models and potentially derive new emission inventories from space.