Maryland, USA (Enmaeya News) — Scientists at the University of Maryland have, for the first time, tracked lightning-related air pollution in real time using a NASA satellite.

Most people associate thunderstorms with heavy rain, power outages or traffic delays. But each lightning strike also releases nitrogen oxide, a gas typically produced by car engines and industrial processes, into the atmosphere.

Understanding how this natural source contributes to air pollution has long challenged scientists.

From late June 2025, Kenneth Pickering, a professor of atmospheric and oceanic science at UMD, and Dale Allen, an associate research scientist, monitored thunderstorms moving across the eastern United States.

Using NASA’s TEMPO satellite instrument, the researchers measured nitrogen dioxide from lightning every 10 minutes.

Normally, TEMPO monitors air pollution across North America once every hour from 22,000 miles above Earth. For this study, however, it captured much faster, detailed measurements, allowing scientists to see how lightning affects air quality in real time.

By combining satellite data with advanced atmospheric analysis, the study gives scientists a better understanding of how thunderstorms both create pollution and drive natural processes that clean the air.

The findings could help improve climate and air quality models and make it easier to predict the environmental effects of future storms.

The research also highlights how modern satellites like TEMPO are changing the way we study the atmosphere, providing real-time observations that were not possible just a few years ago.