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Pacific Southwest, Region 9
Serving: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Pacific Islands, 147 Tribes
Air Quality Index in Google Earth
Related Information
• AIRNow on Google Earth (opens the AIRNow data layer in Google Earth if it's installed on your computer or save this file to your computer and open AIRNow on Google Earth from the file.)
• Download Google Earth browser 
• EPA Air Emission Sources Web site with additional Google Earth tools
EPA’s scientific air quality information in real time is now available on Google Earth. This information tool accesses the AIRNow database hourly so that the Air Quality Index (AQI) displays the most current air quality conditions. Public health officials, media outlets and the general public can now view timely air quality information, by city, on Google Earth.
Families and Health Care Professionals
When individuals have reliable information, they can act on it. The information accessed with this tool can benefit everyone, particularly asthmatics, children, and other sensitive populations who depend on accurate pollutant information to make decisions, on a daily and hourly basis, about their activity levels. For example, a mother of an asthmatic child can check the current AQI to decide whether her child should go out to play soccer. Health care providers could urge their sensitive patients and the public to consider the AQI in planning their outdoor activities. Media outlets can show the pollutant readings on Google Earth.
Emergency Planning/Response
Air quality can change rapidly during emergency situations like the recent California wildfires. Access to real-time air quality information can be crucial for planning and responding to emergencies. This tool presents the data in a visual manner on a map and can be used by fire departments or emergency response teams.
Understanding the AQI
The purpose of the AQI is to help you understand what local air quality means to your health. To make it easier to understand, the AQI is divided into six categories as shown below.
What does AIRNow on Google Earth do?
AIRNow on Google Earth consists of the cartographic data from Google Maps added to the to air quality data from the Air Quality Index. It creates a new and distinct web service and provides access to air quality data in specific cities in real time.
| Air Quality Index (AQI) Values |
Levels of Health Concern | Colors |
|---|---|---|
| When the AQI is in this range: |
...air quality conditions are: | ...as symbolized by this color: |
| 0 to 50 | Good | Green |
| 51 to 100 | Moderate | Yellow |
| 101 to 150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | Orange |
| 151 to 200 | Unhealthy | Red |
| 201 to 300 | Very Unhealthy | Purple |
| 301 to 500 | Hazardous | Maroon |
More Information on Air Quality Index (AQI) 
Instructions for Using AIRNow on Google Earth
Don't have Google Earth installed?
- Open Air Quality Index in Google Earth.
This link will open the AIRNow tool in KML format) in your Google Earth browser. (You may have to save the KML file to your computer and then open it from there. Double click to launch the KML file; it opens Google Earth and shows the AIRNow data layer.)
Most users will want to zoom in on a particular city using the zoom tool. The zoom tool, plus all of the Google Earth features, are explained in the complete Google Earth User Guide.
The initial view of the Air Quality Index in Google Earth looks like this:
- Click on a colored disk to display the air quality for that city.
Each colored disk represents a specific city's AQI. The colors are defined in Understanding the AQI section of this page.
For example, in the graphic at the right, the colored disk for Oakland, CA displays a call-out image showing real-time "Good" air quality.
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