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Carbon Monoxide Data Access and Tools

NASA has carbon monoxide datasets that help researchers characterize trace and major gases comprising Earth's atmosphere. Access a range of data and data tools such as AppEEARS, FIRMS, and Giovanni to make the most of carbon monoxide data.

Many NASA observation methods—platforms, instruments, and space geodesy techniques—provide data that improve our understanding of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere including the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES), Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI), Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument, and Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) featured below.

Commonly Used Carbon Monoxide Data at a Glance

Descriptions of these measurements will be reviewed in more detail later in this Data Pathfinder. The following sections will help guide you to topic-specific data and resources for accessing, visualizing, preparing/manipulating (e.g. subsetting), and analyzing data. Each observation, model, and reanalysis data has unique characteristics that should be considered when evaluating its use.

An asterisk (*) next to an entry indicates that near real-time (NRT) data products are available through NASA's Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE). While not intended for scientific research, NRT data are good resources for monitoring ongoing or time-critical events. To learn more about the difference between NRT and Standard Science Products, see Near Real Time versus Standard Products.

Spatial ResolutionSpatial CoverageTemporal ResolutionTemporal CoverageSpectral ResolutionSatellite/ PlatformName (Sensor, Model, etc.)Observation, Model, or ReanalysisFile Format
50 km x 50 kmGlobal6 minutes2002-present2,378 infrared channels in the 3.74-15.4 micron spectral rangeAqua*AIRSObservationHDF-EOS
165 km x 3 kmNear-globalTwice daily [day, night]2004-presentAt millimeter and submillimeter wavelengthsAqua*MLSObservationHDF-EOS5
~22 kmGlobalDaily, Monthly2000-presentnear-infrared radiation at 2.3 µm and thermal-infrared radiation at 4.7 µmTerra*MOPITTObservationHDF-EOS5
5.5 km x 7 kmGlobal101.5 minutes2018-present270 nm-2.3 µm, 0.55 nmSentinel-5PTROPOMIObservationnetCDF
0.25º x 0.25°Global15 min, HourlyDaily 5-day forecastN/AN/AGEOS-CFModelnetCDF
0.25º x 0.312°Global3-hourlyNear-real time assimilation (DAS), 10-day forecast at 00z and 5-day forecast at 12zN/AN/AGEOS FPAnalysisnetCDF
Point measurementsGlobalPeriodic flights occurred during each deployment2016-2018variesAirborne Field CampaignAtmospheric Tomography Mission (ATom) campaign with varying instrumentsObservationnetCDF

Carbon Monoxide Datasets

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Dataset Version Platform Instrument Temporal Extent Spatial Extent Spatial Resolution Data Format
ATom: CO2, CH4, and CO Measurements from Picarro, 2016-2018 1 NASA DC-8 Picarro G2401 2016-07-26 to 2018-05-21

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

ICARTT
CAMP2Ex Merge Data Files 1 NASA P-3 Computer 2019-08-22 to 2019-10-07 ICARTT, ZIP
Country Trends in Major Air Pollutants 1.00 MODELS Computer 2003-01-01 to 2018-12-31

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

Excel, PDF, PNG
DISCOVER-AQ Colorado Deployment Ancillary Model Data 1 MODELS, Data Analysis Computer 2014-07-14 to 2014-08-27 NetCDF-3, ICARTT
FIREX-AQ Merge Data Files 2 NASA DC-8 GPS, MMS, DLH, LGR, CDP, CAPS, AMS, ION CHROMATOGRAPHS, PTR-MS, GC-MS, ACES 2019-07-22 to 2019-09-06 ICARTT
First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX) University of Washington C-131A Discrete Data 1 C-131A SPECTROMETERS, GAS CHROMATOGRAPHS, ION CHROMATOGRAPHS, THERMOMETERS 1992-06-02 to 1992-06-27 ASCII
KORUS-AQ Ancillary Analysis Data 1 MODELS AMS 2016-04-30 to 2016-10-18 ICARTT
LBA-ECO CD-10 CO Concentrations at km 67 Tower Site, Tapajos National Forest 1 FIXED OBSERVATION STATIONS IRGA 2001-04-18 to 2003-08-29

N: -2.857 S: -2.857 E: -54.959 W: -54.959

CSV
LISTOS Bronx Pfizer Ground Site Data 1 GROUND STATIONS HPLC, GAS SENSORS 2018-01-01 to 2018-11-13 ICARTT
LISTOS Ground Data at Miscellaneous Ground Sites 1 GROUND STATIONS GAS SENSORS 2018-04-30 to 2018-10-01 ICARTT
LISTOS New Haven Ground Site Data 1 GROUND STATIONS GAS SENSORS 2018-05-01 to 2019-01-23 ICARTT
LISTOS University of Maryland Cessna Aircraft In-Situ Data 1 UMD Cessna GPS, OZONE SENSOR, GAS SENSORS, CRDS, TSI-3563 Neph, AETHALOMETER, PSAP, GC-MS 2017-05-17 to 2019-07-29 ICARTT
LISTOS Yale Coastal Ground Site Data 1 GROUND STATIONS AETHALOMETER, GAS SENSORS 2018-07-01 to 2019-08-01 ICARTT
MACPEX WB-57 Aircraft In-situ Water Data 1 NASA WB-57F DLH, JPL LASER HYGROMETERS, CIMS, ALIAS, HWV, CLH2, ULH, FISH 2011-03-30 to 2011-04-26 ICARTT
Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites (MAPS) Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications - 3 (OSTA3) Carbon Monoxide 5 degree by 5 degree data 1 STS-41G, SPACE SHUTTLES GFC RADIOMETER, MAPS, NOT APPLICABLE 1984-10-06 to 1984-10-13 HDF4
Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites (MAPS) Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications - 3 (OSTA3) Carbon Monoxide Second by Second data 1 STS-41G, SPACE SHUTTLES GFC RADIOMETER, MAPS, NOT APPLICABLE 1984-10-06 to 1984-10-13 HDF4
Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites (MAPS) Space Radar Laboratory - 1 (SRL1) Carbon Monoxide 5 degree by 5 degree data 1 SPACE SHUTTLES, STS-59 NOT APPLICABLE, GFC RADIOMETER, MAPS 1994-04-09 to 1994-04-19 HDF4
Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites (MAPS) Space Radar Laboratory - 1 (SRL1) Carbon Monoxide Second by Second data 1 SPACE SHUTTLES, STS-59 NOT APPLICABLE, GFC RADIOMETER, MAPS 1994-04-09 to 1994-04-19 HDF4
Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites (MAPS) Space Radar Laboratory - 2 (SRL2) Carbon Monoxide 5 degree by 5 degree data 1 STS-68 GFC RADIOMETER 1994-09-30 to 1994-10-11 HDF4
Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites (MAPS) Space Radar Laboratory - 2 (SRL2) Carbon Monoxide Second by Second data 1 STS-68, SPACE SHUTTLES GFC RADIOMETER, MAPS, NOT APPLICABLE 1994-09-30 to 1994-10-11 HDF4
MERRA-2 inst3_3d_chm_Nv: 3d,3-Hourly,Instantaneous,Model-Level,Assimilation,Carbon Monoxide and Ozone Mixing Ratio 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2I3NVCHM) at GES DISC 5.12.4 MERRA-2 NOT APPLICABLE 1980-01-01 to Present

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

0.625 Decimal Degrees x 0.5 Decimal Degrees
MERRA-2 tavg1_2d_chm_Nx: 2d,1-Hourly,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Carbon Monoxide and Ozone Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2T1NXCHM) at GES DISC 5.12.4 MERRA-2 NOT APPLICABLE 1980-01-01 to Present

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

0.625 Decimal Degrees x 0.5 Decimal Degrees
MERRA-2 tavgM_2d_chm_Nx: 2d,Monthly mean,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Carbon Monoxide and Ozone Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2TMNXCHM) at GES DISC 5.12.4 MERRA-2 NOT APPLICABLE 1980-01-01 to Present

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

0.625 Decimal Degrees x 0.5 Decimal Degrees
MERRA-2 tavgU_2d_chm_Nx: 2d,diurnal,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Carbon Monoxide and Ozone Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2TUNXCHM) at GES DISC 5.12.4 MERRA-2 NOT APPLICABLE 1980-01-01 to Present

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

0.625 Decimal Degrees x 0.5 Decimal Degrees
MOOSE Aerodyne Mobile Laboratory Measurements 1 GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS GC-EI-TOF, Aerodyne Mini-TILDAS, Aerodyne CAPS, LICOR GAS EXCHANGE SYSTEM, 2B Technologies 2021-05-20 to 2021-07-01 ICARTT
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Featured Carbon Monoxide Observation Method: MLS
The Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) flies aboard the Aura platform and is a passive microwave radiometer/spectrometer that measures vertical profiles of atmospheric gases, temperature, pressure, and cloud ice. MLS can detect carbon monoxide and its measurements are acquired globally day and night and can be obtained in the presence of ice clouds and aerosols. MLS data is often used in Stratospheric ozone layer stability, climate change, and air quality research. An MLS also was also aboard NASA’s Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS).
Learn More About MLS
image collage of satellite data images of Earth

MLS Near Real-Time Data

Near real-time atmosphere, temperature, humidity, and cloud ice data from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) are available through NASA's Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for Earth observation (LANCE).
image of MLS SIPS data over Antarctica

MLS Products Available in GIBS

In coordination with the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) team, we now have several MLS products available through the GIBS image access APIs.

Carbon Monoxide Data Tools

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