MAPS SRL-1: Carbon Monoxide Measurements from Space Shuttle

The Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites (MAPS) Space Radar Laboratory - 1 (SRL1) dataset provides global measurements of carbon monoxide mixing ratios in the free troposphere. It was collected by a NASA instrument on board the Space Shuttle during a dedicated Earth-observing mission in 1994. The data likely contains 5-degree by 5-degree gridded measurements focused on evaluating CO sources, chemistry, and seasonal variation.

Use Cases

• Analyzing seasonal changes in carbon monoxide emissions based on the 1994 flight data mentioned in the description
• Mapping global distribution of tropospheric carbon monoxide based on the 5-degree by 5-degree grid
• Evaluating sources of carbon monoxide from biomass burning in regions like the Amazon Basin based on the description
• Assessing the health status and calibration of the MAPS gas filter radiometry instrument based on mission goals

Strengths

• Data originates from a dedicated NASA Space Shuttle mission in 1994
• Focuses on a key atmospheric trace gas (carbon monoxide) with global coverage
• Includes a correction mechanism for systematic errors using a simultaneous N2O measurement

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data is from a single mission in 1994, limiting temporal scope

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

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

Time Range

1994

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 00:42:57.330897; freshness should be verified

Geography

Near-global