MSVOLSO2L4: Multi-Satellite Volcanic Sulfur Dioxide Database, 1978-Present

A long-term database of volcanic SO2 emissions derived from ultraviolet satellite measurements from October 31, 1978, to present. The data represent best estimates of volcanic and anthropogenic contributions to global atmospheric SO2 concentrations, produced by NASA's MEaSUREs 2012 project. It includes eruption details, plume altitudes, and measured SO2 mass in kilotons for volcanic events.

Use Cases

• Modeling sulfate aerosol climate impact based on long-term SO2 emission estimates.
• Analyzing trends in volcanic explosivity and eruption style based on recorded VEI and style columns.
• Correlating plume altitude estimates with SO2 mass measurements for eruption characterization.
• Studying the geographic distribution of volcanic SO2 sources based on volcano latitude and longitude.

Strengths

• Data coverage spans from October 31, 1978, to present, providing a multi-decadal record.
• Integrates measurements from multiple satellite instrument types (BUV, IR, MLS).
• Includes specific eruption metadata: style, volcanic explosivity index, and plume altitudes.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Derived from ultraviolet satellite measurements combined from backscatter Ultraviolet (BUV), thermal infrared (IR) and microwave (MLS) instruments on multiple satellites.

Time Range

October 31, 1978 to present

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 00:07:14.109543; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global