OMPS-NPP: Daily Global Aerosol Index from Suomi-NPP Satellite

14.5 orbits per day provide global aerosol index measurements derived from normalized radiances at 340 and 378.5 nm wavelengths. This official NASA product from the OMPS Nadir-Mapper instrument on the Suomi-NPP satellite replaces the previous aerosol index found in the total ozone product. Each orbital granule contains data from the daylight portion, with a 2800 km swath width and a 50 km x 50 km footprint at nadir.

Use Cases

• Tracking aerosol plumes from volcanic eruptions or dust storms based on the derived aerosol index.
• Analyzing daily global aerosol distribution patterns using the 36-pixel swath data.
• Studying the relationship between aerosols and cloud properties using the included cloud fraction measurements.
• Validating atmospheric models with satellite-derived reflectivity and normalized radiance data.

Strengths

• Provides the official NASA aerosol index product, indicating authoritative data provenance.
• Offers daily global spatial coverage from -90 to 90 degrees latitude.
• Delivers data at a specific spatial resolution of 50 km x 50 km at nadir.

Limitations

• Column names and exact data structure are not specified in the provided metadata.
• Conflicting metadata: one source lists a license ('other-license-specified') while another lists 'None'.
• Granule size and total row counts are unknown, complicating data volume estimation.

Provenance

Source

Ozone Mapping and Profiling Suite (OMPS) Nadir-Mapper instrument on the Suomi-NPP satellite, processed by GES_DISC.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing, with data derived from normalized radiances using two wavelength pairs.

Time Range

Daily orbital data; specific start and end dates are not provided.

Freshness

2026-04-09 23:27:31.576522

Geography

Global coverage from -90 to 90 degrees latitude.