Aura OMI Satellite Daily Ozone Column Measurements at 13x24 km Resolution

OMI/Aura DOAS Total Column Ozone provides pixel-level global ozone measurements using the Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy technique on ultraviolet radiance. NASA GES DISC reprocessed the data in December 2022 using collection 4 Level 1b data and processor version 4.1.0, with a public release in March 2026. Each NetCDF file covers the sunlit portion of one satellite orbit, approximately 53 minutes, with about 14 orbits generated per day.

Use Cases

• Analyze global ozone column trends using the total_ozone_column field across the 331.1-336.1 nm spectral window.
• Investigate cloud effects on ozone retrieval by correlating cloud_fraction and cloud_pressure with the ozone air_mass_factor.
• Validate chemical transport models by comparing simulated ozone with the ozone_ghost_column_density and ozone_slant_column_density fields.
• Assess data quality for specific regions using the root_mean_square_of_DAOS_fit and quality_flags per pixel.
• Study surface reflectance impacts on satellite retrievals using the scene_reflectivity parameter alongside geolocation data.

Strengths

• Pixel-level resolution of 13x24 km at nadir for detailed spatial analysis.
• Includes approximately 14 orbits of data per day, providing frequent global sampling.
• Product contains over 15 derived and ancillary parameters like cloud properties and viewing angles.
• Maximum file size is about 10 MB, facilitating manageable data transfer and storage.

Limitations

• Data is limited to the sunlit portion of each orbit, creating gaps in polar night regions.
• The DOAS algorithm's accuracy can be reduced under high cloud_fraction or extreme scene_reflectivity conditions.
• Temporal coverage is dependent on the OMI instrument's operational lifetime, with potential data gaps.

Provenance

Source

NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC).

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on the Aura spacecraft, using the DOAS fitting technique.

Time Range

Covers the operational period of the OMI instrument; specific start and end dates are not provided.

Freshness

Data reprocessed in December 2022 and publicly released in March 2026.

Geography

Global coverage from the Aura satellite's sun-synchronous orbit.