In the age of technological advancement, even environmental study gets its long-due boost in cutting-edge know-how. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the U.S. space agency, is of course known for its achievements in cosmic explorations. But few of us know why rocket science has anything to do with air pollution study. Professor Janet Elizabeth Nichol, Department of Land Surveying and Geo-informatics, has been working with NASA to set up AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) and MPLNET (Micro-Pulse Lidar Network) in Hong Kong which monitor aerosol distribution and level in PRD region through remote sensing and satellite imaging technologies. An aerosol is a suspension of fine particles in air which has harmful effects on human health and climate change. The project helps us understand the pollution problem and hence, allows us to tackle it more effectively.
