Updated Real-Time Geospatial Data Viewer (RETIGO) Web Tool by EPA Scientists
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has unveiled its REal TIme Geospatial Data Viewer (RETIGO), a groundbreaking web-based platform designed to revolutionise air quality data exploration. This innovative tool, developed by EPA scientists and Oak Ridge Associated Universities Research Participant Sarah Whichello, aims to reduce technical barriers in data visualisation and facilitate widespread data sharing.
RETIGO allows users to upload, visualise, and analyse their own environmental and air quality datasets, collected via stationary or mobile means. Notably, RETIGO does not automatically pull in external data sources but instead empowers users to upload their own data directly to the platform. However, it does enable users to incorporate atmospheric context by overlaying their datasets with air quality and meteorological data from nearby EPA and other monitoring stations.
RETIGO's primary function is to enable dynamic visualisation and exploration of air quality data on a map interface. Users can upload and map air quality data collected with various technologies, visualise data collected while moving, and overlay external air quality and weather data from nearby EPA and partner agency monitoring stations.
The tool supports interactive data analysis through multiple viewing modes, including spatial mapping, temporal analysis, comparative analysis, and data sharing. Users can visualise pollutant concentrations alongside geographic features, examine trends over time using built-in graphing tools, compare mobile sensor data with data from established monitoring locations, and choose to publish their data to the RETIGO repository for broader use.
The updated RETIGO also offers advanced features, such as the ability to create and analyse three-dimensional output models on Google Earth, plot and view air quality data alongside data from EPA monitors, public air sensors, meteorological stations, and satellites, and export files that code for geographic representation in two- and three-dimensional web models.
RETIGO is a flexible, accessible tool for both researchers and communities seeking to understand air quality patterns in real-world, geospatial contexts. EPA scientists have updated RETIGO to include new data sources and new functionality, and it will continue to be updated to reflect the impact of emerging technologies and provide users with a highly accessible, multifunctional data viewer.
With RETIGO, users can overlay real-time data collected by mobile monitors with fire updates and air quality information from various sources, such as satellites and monitoring networks. The new updates include customisable display colours and scales, advanced visual satellite data overlays, increased visualisation options, a new scatterplot function, and new comparison data and satellite data sources.
RETIGO is a free, open-access web tool for exploring air quality data, using data files containing timestamps, latitude, longitude, and pollutant/environmental variables to create interactive maps and time series displays. It is used in various research projects, such as mapping the paths and concentrations of plumes from wildland fires and oil fires, and visualising data collected through the Wildfire Smoke Air Monitoring Response Technology Program (WSMART).
In conclusion, RETIGO advances air quality data exploration by empowering users to upload and visualise their own datasets while incorporating relevant data from external monitoring stations for comparative analysis. It is a valuable resource for researchers, communities, and air quality professionals seeking to understand and address air quality issues in their local areas.
- The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) REal TIme Geospatial Data Viewer (RETIGO) supports the exploration of air quality information across various landscapes, integrating pollutant data collected through multiple technologies and comparison with data from environmental monitoring stations.
- RETIGO's innovation in environmental-science lies in its ability to encourage data sharing, fostering a health-and-wellness community that strives to understand air quality patterns in real-world, geospatial contexts, using technology to overlay real-time data with contextual information.
- The updated RETIGO extends its reach to an even broader user base by offering advanced visualisations, allowing users to analyse three-dimensional output models on platforms like Google Earth and overlay diverse data sources, including satellites, meteorological stations, and public air sensors, to provide actionable insights for improving air quality.
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