MAPS OSTA3: Global Carbon Monoxide Measurements from Satellite

The MAPS OSTA3 dataset from NASA measures global carbon monoxide (CO) mixing ratios in the free troposphere using gas filter radiometry from a Space Shuttle instrument. Data products include a 5 by 5 degree gridded box and second-by-second measurements, with corrections for clouds using nitrous oxide (N2O) signals. The dataset is hosted by the Langley DAAC and was last updated on 2026-03 13.

Use Cases

• Modeling global carbon monoxide transport based on second-by-second satellite measurements.
• Analyzing the impact of biomass burning in regions like the Amazon and African savannahs on tropospheric CO.
• Correcting atmospheric measurements for cloud interference based on the described N2O signal methodology.
• Studying spatial variability of carbon monoxide concentrations at an altitude of 7-8 km.

Strengths

• Data is derived from a calibrated gas filter radiometry instrument flown on the Space Shuttle.
• Includes a cloud-correction mechanism using a simultaneous nitrous oxide (N2O) measurement signal.
• Provides two data products: a 5x5 degree gridded summary and high-resolution second-by-second data.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to the specific shuttle mission timeframe.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Langley DAAC.

Collection Method

Collected via the MAPS gas filter radiometry instrument on board the Space Shuttle.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 00:46:10.958831; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global coverage, with specific mention of the South American Amazon Basin, African savannahs, and Australian grasslands.