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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 ResolutionSpatial CoverageTemporal ResolutionTemporal CoverageSpectral ResolutionSatellite/ PlatformName (Sensor, Model, etc.)Observation, Model, or ReanalysisFile Format
50 kmGlobal6 min, hourly, 3-hourly, 6-hourly2016-present for NRT, 2002 for other2,378 infrared channels in the 3.74 to 15.4 micron spectral rangeAqua*AIRSObservationHDF-EOS

Dust/Ash/Smoke Datasets

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Dataset Version Platform Instrument Temporal Extent Spatial Extent Spatial Resolution Data Format
MODIS/Aqua Aerosol 5-Min L2 Swath 3km - NRT 6.1NRT Aqua MODIS 2017-10-20

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

3 Kilometers x 3 Kilometers HDF-EOS
MODIS/Aqua Aerosol Cloud Water Vapor Ozone 8-Day L3 Global 1Deg CMG 6.1 Aqua MODIS 2002-07-04 to Present

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

1 Decimal Degrees x 1 Decimal Degrees HDF-EOS
MODIS/Aqua Aerosol Cloud Water Vapor Ozone Daily L3 Global 1Deg CMG 6.1 Aqua MODIS 2002-07-04 to Present

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

1 Decimal Degrees x 1 Decimal Degrees HDF-EOS
MODIS/Aqua Aerosol Cloud Water Vapor Ozone Monthly L3 Global 1Deg CMG 6.1 Aqua MODIS 2002-07-01 to Present

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

1 Decimal Degrees x 1 Decimal Degrees HDF-EOS
MODIS/Terra Aerosol 5-Min L2 Swath 10km 6.1 Terra MODIS 2000-02-24 to Present

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

HDF-EOS
MODIS/Terra Aerosol 5-Min L2 Swath 10km - NRT 6.1NRT Terra MODIS 2017-10-11

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

10 Kilometers x 10 Kilometers HDF-EOS
MODIS/Terra Aerosol 5-Min L2 Swath 3km 6.1 Terra MODIS 2000-02-24 to Present

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

3 Kilometers x 3 Kilometers HDF-EOS
MODIS/Terra Aerosol 5-Min L2 Swath 3km - NRT 6.1NRT Terra MODIS 2017-10-11

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

3 Kilometers x 3 Kilometers HDF-EOS
MODIS/Terra Aerosol Cloud Water Vapor Ozone 8-Day L3 Global 1Deg CMG 6.1 Terra MODIS 2000-02-18 to Present

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

1 Decimal Degrees x 1 Decimal Degrees HDF-EOS
MODIS/Terra Aerosol Cloud Water Vapor Ozone Daily L3 Global 1Deg CMG 6.1 Terra MODIS 2000-02-24 to Present

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

1 Decimal Degrees x 1 Decimal Degrees HDF-EOS
MODIS/Terra Aerosol Cloud Water Vapor Ozone Monthly L3 Global 1Deg CMG 6.1 Terra MODIS 2000-02-01 to Present

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

1 Decimal Degrees x 1 Decimal Degrees HDF-EOS
MODIS/Terra L3 Value-added Aerosol Optical Depth - NRT 6.1NRT Terra MODIS 2017-10-11

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

0.5 Decimal Degrees x 0.5 Decimal Degrees HDF-EOS
MODIS/Terra+Aqua L3 Value-added Aerosol Optical Depth - NRT 6.1NRT Terra, Aqua MODIS 2017-10-11

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

0.5 Decimal Degrees x 0.5 Decimal Degrees HDF-EOS
Monthly Frequency of Dust Storm over Land for Varying Intensities, Based on MODIS Aqua Deep Blue Level 2 Aerosol Products MYD04_L2 Collection 6.1, on a Global 0.1 by 0.1 Degree Grid, Level 3 Version 1 (MYDFDS_MON_GLB_L3) at GES DISC 1 Aqua MODIS 2003-01-01 to 2022-12-31

N: 79.9 S: -80 E: 174.9 W: -175

0.1 Decimal Degrees x 0.1 Decimal Degrees
Monthly Frequency of Dust Storm over Land for Varying Intensities, Based on MODIS Terra Deep Blue Level 2 Aerosol Products MOD04_L2 Collection 6.1, on a Global 0.1 by 0.1 Degree Grid, Level 3 Version 1 (MODFDS_MON_GLB_L3) at GES DISC 1 Terra MODIS 2000-01-01 to 2022-12-31

N: 79.9 S: -80 E: 174.9 W: -175

0.1 Decimal Degrees x 0.1 Decimal Degrees
NAAMES C-130 Aerosol and Cloud Remote Sensing Data, Version 1 1 C-130 RSP, 4STAR, HSRL 2015-11-04 to 2018-03-25 ICARTT, HDF5, PNG, KML
OMPS-N20 L2 NM Aerosol Index swath orbital NRT 2 NOAA-20 OMPS 2018-01-16 to Present HDF5
OMPS-N21 L2 NM Aerosol Index swath orbital NRT 2 NOAA-21 OMPS 2018-01-16 to Present

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

HDF5
OMPS-N21 LP NRT Aerosol Extinction Vertical Profile swath multi-wavelength orbital 3slit 1 NOAA-21 OMPS 2018-01-16 to Present

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

netCDF
OMPS-NPP L2 NM Aerosol Index swath orbital NRT 2 Suomi-NPP OMPS 2011-11-07 to Present HDF5
OMPS-NPP LP NRT Aerosol Extinction Vertical Profile swath multi-wavelength orbital 3slit 1 Suomi-NPP OMPS 2018-01-16 to Present

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

HDF5
ORACLES Model Derived Measurements 1 MODELS Computer 2016-08-27 to 2018-10-27 ICARTT
SBUV2/NOAA-11 Level 2 Daily Ozone Profile and Total Column from CD-ROM V008 (SBUV2N11O3) at GES DISC 008 NOAA-11 SBUV/2 1988-12-01 to 2001-03-27

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

160 Kilometers x 160 Kilometers
SBUV2/NOAA-16 Level 2 Daily Ozone Profile and Total Column from CD-ROM V008 (SBUV2N16O3) at GES DISC 008 NOAA-16 SBUV/2 2000-10-03 to 2003-12-31

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

180 Kilometers x 180 Kilometers
SBUV2/NOAA-9 Level 2 Daily Ozone Profile and Total Column from CD-ROM V008 (SBUV2N09O3) at GES DISC 008 NOAA-9 SBUV/2 1985-02-02 to 1998-02-19

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

160 Kilometers x 160 Kilometers
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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).
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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.

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