ASSESSING AIR QUALITY THROUGH THE CORRELATION BETWEEN PARTICULATE MATTER 2.5 (PM2.5) AND AEROSOL OPTICAL DEPTH (AOD) USING MODIS SATELLITE DATA

Thailand is currently facing the issue of fine particulate matter with a diameter of no more than 2.5 microns (PM2.5), which consistently exceeds standard limits every year, especially in the northern region of the country, ranked among the most polluted areas globally. This research aims to analyze factors contributing to PM2.5 formation and examine the relationship between AOD and PM2.5 using ground-based air monitoring data from 2018 to 2022. The study integrated these findings with satellite imagery from MODIS and nighttime light data from the Suomi NPP satellite. For factor analysis, the study employed Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), identifying atmospheric pressure, wind speed, rainfall, land use, temperature, and land slope as relevant factors using monthly statistical data between November to February each year. The correlation analysis showed a coefficient of 0.95, indicating a strong relationship between AOD values and PM2.5 concentration in northern of Thailand. However, when analyzing the correlation between PM2.5 and AOD values with Suomi NPP nighttime light data to understand PM2.5 distribution in densely populated communities, no statistically significant correlation was found. This study demonstrates the potential use of AOD data from the MODIS satellite to analyze PM2.5 distribution, which could help manage severe air pollution events in various regions.