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Dust/Ash/Smoke Data Access and Tools

Dust, ash, and smoke data from NASA range from aerosol indexes to fire and thermal anomaly detections. Our datasets and tools help users find and integrate the data they need to track airborne particles, locate their sources, determine their downstream effects and other important facts.

Commonly Used Dust Score Data at a Glance

Very large dust storms lasting hours or days can be observed and tracked using satellite imagery. The amount of dust transported by these storms can be quantified using the Dust Score, which is calculated from data acquired by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite. The AIRS Dust Score indicates the level of atmospheric aerosols in Earth’s atmosphere over the ocean. Dust is probable when the score is above 380, and higher scores indicate more certainty that dust is present. The numerical scale is a qualitative representation of the presence of dust in the atmosphere, an indication of where large dust storms may form, and the areas that may be affected.

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. For more information about the differences between NRT and Standard Science Products, please see Near Real-Time versus Standard Products.

Spatial Resolution	Spatial Coverage	Temporal Resolution	Temporal Coverage	Spectral Resolution	Satellite/ Platform	Name (Sensor, Model, etc.)	Observation, Model, or Reanalysis	File Format
50 km	Global	6 min, hourly, 3-hourly, 6-hourly	2016-present for NRT, 2002 for other	2,378 infrared channels in the 3.74 to 15.4 micron spectral range	Aqua	*AIRS	Observation	HDF-EOS

Dust/Ash/Smoke Datasets

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Dataset Sort descending	Version	Platform	Instrument	Temporal Extent	Spatial Extent	Spatial Resolution	Data Format
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
FIREX-AQ NOAA-CHEM Twin Otter Analysis Data	1	MODELS	Computer	2019-07-29 to 2019-09-06			ICARTT
FLEXPART dust aerosol L4 global daily 1 x 1 degrees V1 (DUSTFLEXPART)	1	FLEXPART	NOT APPLICABLE	2008-01-01 to 2015-12-31	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180	1 Decimal Degrees x 1 Decimal Degrees
Global Space-based Stratospheric Aerosol Climatology Version 1.1	1.1	CALIPSO, UARS, ERBS	CALIOP, CLAES, HALOE, SAGE II	1979-01-01 to 2016-12-31			NetCDF-3
Global Space-based Stratospheric Aerosol Climatology Version 2.0	2.0	CALIPSO, UARS, ERBS	CALIOP, CLAES, HALOE, SAGE II	1979-01-01 to 2018-12-31			NetCDF-3
Global Space-based Stratospheric Aerosol Climatology Version 2.1	2.1	ERBS, CALIPSO, UARS, ISS	SAGE II, CALIOP, CLAES, HALOE, SAGE III	1979-01-01 to 2020-12-31			NetCDF-3
Global Space-based Stratospheric Aerosol Climatology Version 2.2	2.2	ERBS, CALIPSO, UARS, ISS	SAGE II, CALIOP, CLAES, SAGE III	1979-01-01 to 2021-12-31			NetCDF-3
Global Space-based Stratospheric Aerosol Climatology Version 2.21	2.21	ERBS, CALIPSO, UARS, ISS	SAGE II, CALIOP, CLAES, SAGE III	1979-01-01 to 2022-12-31			NetCDF-3
Global Space-based Stratospheric Aerosol Climatology Version 2.22	2.22	ERBS, CALIPSO, UARS, ISS	SAGE II, CALIOP, CLAES	1979-01-01 to 2023-12-31			NetCDF-3
Global Space-based Stratospheric Aerosol Climatology Version 2.23	2.23	ERBS, CALIPSO, UARS, ISS	SAGE II, CALIOP, CLAES	1979-01-01 to 2024-12-31			netCDF-4
KORUS-AQ Ancillary Model Data Products	1	GEOS-Chem, FLEXPART, CAM-chem, WRF		2016-04-30 to 2016-06-11			NetCDF-4, ICARTT
MERRA-2 avgM_2d_pm25_admin0, 2d, Single-Level, Country-Level Surface PM2.5 Monthly Mean Products V1 (M2_TMAX_PM25) at GES DISC	1	MERRA-2	NOT APPLICABLE	1980-01-01 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
MERRA-2 inst3_3d_aer_Nv: 3d,3-Hourly,Instantaneous,Model-Level,Assimilation,Aerosol Mixing Ratio 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2I3NVAER) 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 inst3_3d_gas_Nv: 3d,3-Hourly,Instantaneous,Model-Level,Assimilation,Aerosol Mixing Ratio Analysis Increments 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2I3NVGAS) 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_adg_Nx: 2d,1-Hourly,Time-averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Aerosol Diagnostics (extended) 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2T1NXADG) 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_aer_Nx: 2d,1-Hourly,Time-averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Aerosol Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2T1NXAER) 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_adg_Nx: 2d,Monthly mean,Time-averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Aerosol Diagnostics (extended) 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2TMNXADG) 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_aer_Nx: 2d,Monthly mean,Time-averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Aerosol Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2TMNXAER) 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_adg_Nx: 2d,diurnal,Time-averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Aerosol Diagnostics (extended) 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2TUNXADG) 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_aer_Nx: 2d,diurnal,Time-averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Aerosol Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4 (M2TUNXAER) 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
MISR Derived Case Study Data for Iceland Volcanic Eruptions (Eyjafjallajokull, Grimsvotn, Holuhraun) Including Geometric Plume Height and Qualitative Radiometric Particle Property Information	1	Terra	MISR	2010-04-15 to 2015-02-21			ASCII, PNG, JPEG, HDF5
MISR Derived Case Study Data for Kilauea Volcanic Eruptions Including Geometric Plume Height and Qualitative Radiometric Particle Property Information	1	Terra	MISR	2000-10-25 to 2018-08-01			ASCII, PNG, JPEG, HDF5
MODIS/Aqua Aerosol 5-Min L2 Swath 10km	6.1	Aqua	MODIS	2002-07-04 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180	10 Kilometers x 10 Kilometers	HDF-EOS
MODIS/Aqua Aerosol 5-Min L2 Swath 10km - NRT	6.1NRT	Aqua	MODIS	2017-10-20	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180	10 Kilometers x 10 Kilometers	HDF-EOS
MODIS/Aqua Aerosol 5-Min L2 Swath 3km	6.1	Aqua	MODIS	2002-07-04 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		HDF-EOS

AIRS

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a hyperspectral sounder that collects daily global measurements of water vapor and temperature profiles. Its aerosol-detecting capabilities mean that it produces data useful to the detection and tracking of dust, ash, and smoke.

Learn More About AIRS

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AIRS Near Real-Time Data

Near real-time 3D atmospheric data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument are available through NASA's Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for Earth observation (LANCE).

This image from the AIRS instrument shows surface air temperature over North America and the Arctic on December 22nd, 2022.

Contributions of NASA's AIRS Instrument Continue with CrIS, ATMS

Next-generation instruments aboard Joint Polar Satellite System spacecraft provide continuity to the AIRS project that began in 2002.

11 MIN READ

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Access AIRS data from GES DISC via OPeNDAP

Learn how to access and visualize Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) grid data from NASA's Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) in Python.

A destroyed amusement park wrecked by Hurricane Sandy

LANCE Data Contribute to the Successful Forecast of Hurricane Sandy

A recent study reviewed the impact of satellite data in accurately forecasting the path of Hurricane Sandy. The study showed that AIRS NRT data from NASA’s polar-orbiting satellites significantly improve these predictions.

6 MIN READ

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