New data zooms in on air pollution mapped by Google Street View cars

Google and Aclima, a company that maps hyperlocal air pollution, announced today that researchers can now access a treasure trove of new data that can bolster efforts to both combat climate change and clean up the air. It’s the result of four years of measurements taken by Google Street View vehicles in California outfitted with Aclima sensors.

The dataset offers researchers a close-up look at changes in air quality from block to block. It includes more than 42 million measurements of smog, soot, black carbon, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, and methane. The ability to zoom in to see differences on one street versus another is key to pinpointing where the most pollution is coming from and who it affects the most.

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