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Sulfur Dioxide Data Access and Tools
Commonly Used Sulfur Dioxide Data at a Glance
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 Resolution | Spatial Coverage | Temporal Resolution | Temporal Coverage | Spectral Resolution | Satellite/ Platform | Name (Sensor, Model, etc.) | Observation, Model, or Reanalysis | File Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 km x 50 km | Global | 6 minutes | 2002-2023 | 2,378 infrared channels in the 3.74-15.4 micron spectral range | Aqua | *AIRS | Observation | HDF-EOS |
| 13 km x 24 km, 0.25°, 1° | Global | 98 minutes, Daily | 2004-present | 1.0-0.45 nm Full Width and Half Maximum (FWHM) | Aura | Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) | Observation | HDF-EOS5 |
| 7.5 km x 3 km | Global | 101 minutes, Daily | 2018 | 250-420 nm | NASA/NOAA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) | Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) | Observation | netCDF-4 |
| 7 x 3.5 km for all spectral bands, with the exception of the UV1 band (7 x 28 km2) and SWIR bands (7 x 7 km2) | Global | Daily | 2017-present | 270 nm-2.3 µm, 0.55 nm | ESA Sentinel-5P | TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) | Observation | netCDF |
| 165 km x 3 km | Near-global (-82º to +82º latitude) | 15 minutes, Twice daily [day, night] | 2021-present | 190 and 240 GHz | Aura | *MLS | Observation | HDF-EOS5 |
| 0.5° x 0.625° | Global | Hourly, 3 hourly, Monthly | 1980-present | N/A | N/A | MERRA-2 | Reanalysis | netCDF |
| 0.25º x 0.25° | Global | 15 min, Hourly | Daily 5-day forecast | N/A | N/A | GEOS-CF | Model | netCDF |
| 0.25º x 0.312° | Global | 3-hourly | Near-real time assimilation (DAS), 10-day forecast at 00z, and 5-day forecast at 12z | N/A | N/A | GEOS FP | Analysis | netCDF |
| Point measurements | Global | Periodic flights occurred during each deployment | 2016-2018 | varies | Airborne Field Campaign | Atmospheric Tomography Mission (ATom) campaign with varying instruments | Observation | netCDF |
Sulfur Dioxide Datasets
| Dataset | Platforms | Instruments | Temporal Extent | Location Keywords | Spatial Extent | Data Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRACE-P P-3B In-Situ Trace Gas Data | P-3B | DACOM, CIMS | 1999-01-07 to 2002-03-01 | WESTERN HEMISPHERE, NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, TROPOSPHERE, PACIFIC OCEAN, WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN | N: 45.7 S: 6.89 E: 180 W: -180 | GTE |
| TROPESS Chemical Reanalysis SO2 6-Hourly 3-dimensional Product V1 (TRPSCRSO26H3D) at GES DISC | REANALYSIS MODELS | NOT APPLICABLE | 2005-01-01 to 2021-12-31 | GLOBAL, TROPOSPHERE | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | |
| TROPESS Chemical Reanalysis SO2 Monthly 3-dimensional Product V1 (TRPSCRSO2M3D) at GES DISC | REANALYSIS MODELS | NOT APPLICABLE | 2005-01-01 to 2021-12-31 | GLOBAL, TROPOSPHERE | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | |
| TROPESS Chemical Reanalysis Surface SO2 2-Hourly 2-dimensional Product V1 (TRPSCRSO22H2D) at GES DISC | REANALYSIS MODELS | NOT APPLICABLE | 2005-01-01 to 2021-12-31 | GLOBAL, TROPOSPHERE | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | |
| TROPESS Chemical Reanalysis Surface Total SO2 emissions Monthly 2-dimensional Product V1 (TRPSCRESO2TM2D) at GES DISC | REANALYSIS MODELS | NOT APPLICABLE | 2005-01-01 to 2021-12-31 | GLOBAL, TROPOSPHERE | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | |
| UARS Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) Level 3AL V005 (UARML3AL) at GES DISC | UARS | MLS | 1991-09-18 to 1999-07-27 | GLOBAL, MESOSPHERE, STRATOSPHERE, TROPOSPHERE | N: 80 S: -80 E: 180 W: -180 | |
| UARS Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) Level 3AT V005 (UARML3AT) at GES DISC | UARS | MLS | 1991-09-18 to 1999-07-28 | GLOBAL, MESOSPHERE, STRATOSPHERE, TROPOSPHERE | N: 80 S: -80 E: 180 W: -180 | |
| VIRGAS WB-57 Aircraft In-Situ Trace Gas Data | NASA WB-57F | WAS, UASO3, LIF-SO2 | 2015-10-17 to 2015-11-01 | CONTINENT, NORTH AMERICA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, TEXAS, NORTHERN HEMISPHERE | ICARTT |
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Featured Sulfur Dioxide Observation Method: OMPS
The Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) aboard the joint NASA/NOAA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite tracks the health of Earth's ozone layer and measures the concentration of atmospheric ozone. The NOAA-20 and NOAA-21 satellites are also equipped with the instrument. Total column sulfur dioxide data from OMPS are available on a near real-time basis.
OMPS SIPS is responsible for processing, reprocessing, production and general assessment of Suomi NPP VIIRS OMPS Nadir products.
Data from the next-generation Instruments will help atmospheric scientists advance air quality measurements and standards.
20 MIN READ
The new PyroCumuloNimbus product for the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) makes it easier to track and analyze high concentrations of aerosols from wildfires and similar events.
4 MIN READ
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