Stratospheric Aerosol Profiles from Nimbus 7 Satellite

Stratospheric Aerosol Measurement (SAM) II data contain vertical profiles of aerosol extinction in the Arctic and Antarctic polar regions. The dataset was produced by NASA from the Nimbus 7 spacecraft, covering a 15-year period from October 1978 to December 1993. Measurements capture solar irradiance attenuated by aerosol particles to study atmospheric composition.

Use Cases

• Analyzing long-term trends in polar stratospheric aerosol extinction over a 15-year period.
• Studying seasonal and geographic variations in aerosol profiles between the Arctic and Antarctic.
• Validating climate and atmospheric models with historical satellite observations from the Nimbus 7 mission.
• Investigating the impact of orbit degradation on data continuity from 1988 onwards.

Strengths

• Provides a 15-year continuous record from October 1978 to December 1993 for long-term trend analysis.
• Covers both polar regions (Arctic and Antarctic), enabling comparative studies.
• Data originates from a NASA satellite mission (Nimbus 7), ensuring authoritative collection methods.

Limitations

• Contains acknowledged data gaps, especially increasing from 1988 due to spacecraft orbit degradation.
• Sources conflict on the last update date (1993-12 18 vs. 2026-03-12), indicating potential metadata inconsistency.
• Specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided by any source, limiting precise technical assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Satellite-based solar irradiance measurements from the Stratospheric Aerosol Measurement (SAM) II instrument aboard the Nimbus 7 spacecraft.

Time Range

1978-10-29 to 1993-12-18

Freshness

2026-03-12 20:52:58.998168

Geography

Arctic and Antarctic polar regions