SBUVN7O3: Nimbus-7 Satellite Ozone Profiles and Total Columns

NASA GES DISC provides the SBUV/Nimbus-7 Level 2 Version 8 dataset, containing daily ozone profile and total column measurements. Data spans from October 31, 1978, to June 21, 1990, with profiles at 21 pressure levels and a nadir footprint resolution of 180 km x 180 km. Measurements are derived from solar irradiance and backscattered radiance at 12 specific ultraviolet wavelengths between 256 and 340 nm.

Use Cases

• Analyzing long-term stratospheric ozone trends based on the 12-year daily measurement record.
• Validating climate model outputs for ozone distribution using the 21-pressure-level vertical profiles.
• Studiating the spatial variability of ozone using the instrument's 180 km x 180 km nadir footprint.
• Cross-calibrating newer satellite ozone sensors using the established SBUV spectral retrieval channels (e.g., 256, 273, 340 nm).
• Investigating the relationship between UV reflectance and aerosol presence in the upper atmosphere.

Strengths

• Provides a continuous 12-year daily record (1978-1990) for long-term trend analysis.
• Offers vertical detail with ozone profiles reported at 21 discrete pressure levels between 1000 and 0.1 hPa.
• Measurements are based on a physically consistent retrieval method using 12 specific UV wavelengths with a narrow 0.001 micrometer band pass.

Limitations

• Key metadata is missing: column names, row counts, and exact file sizes are not provided in the sources.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' metadata: one source lists 1990-06 21, while others list 2026-04-09, suggesting potential metadata inconsistency.
• The spatial resolution of 180 km x 180 km is coarse compared to modern satellite instruments.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the Solar Backscattered Ultraviolet (SBUV) instrument on the Nimbus-7 platform.

Time Range

1978-10-31 to 1990-06-21

Freshness

2026-04-09 22:37:58.048507

Geography

Global coverage from satellite orbits.