OMNO2: OMI/Aura Satellite NO2 Column Measurements

Version 4.0 of the Aura OMI Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Standard Product provides slant column NO2, total vertical column density, and separated stratospheric and tropospheric columns. Each Level-2 file contains data from the sunlit portion of an orbit (~53 minutes), with approximately 14 orbits per day and a maximum file size of ~24 MB. The product uses improved cloud parameters and a new surface reflectivity product for more accurate retrievals over varied terrain, including snow and ice.

Use Cases

• Tracking regional NO2 pollution trends based on tropospheric vertical column density (VCD) measurements.
• Analyzing the stratospheric-tropospheric partitioning of NO2 using the separated column data.
• Validating air quality models with satellite-derived slant column NO2 and air mass factors (AMFs).
• Studying the impact of surface conditions (snow/ice, terrain) on retrieval accuracy using the scene LER and pressure concepts.

Strengths

• Provides multiple NO2 column measurements (slant, total, stratospheric, tropospheric) for detailed atmospheric analysis.
• Version 4.0 incorporates major algorithmic updates for improved accuracy, including a new cloud algorithm (OMCDO2N) and geometry-dependent surface reflectivity (GLER).
• Data is structured with a consistent temporal resolution, with each file covering ~53 minutes of an orbit.

Limitations

• Specific column names and dataset dimensions (rows, size) are not provided in the available metadata.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' or 'None' across sources, requiring further investigation for use.
• Metadata completeness is low, with missing information on authors, organization for some entries, and precise spatial coverage.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) aboard the Aura spacecraft.

Time Range

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Freshness

2026-04-09 23:28:29.028636

Geography

Global coverage from satellite orbits.