TOMCAT model data & IASI satellite data of O3, CO, H2O, CH4 and OH/derived OH for 2010

Monthly mean data for ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), water vapor (H2O), methane (CH4), and the hydroxyl radical (OH) for the years 2010 and 2017. The data combines outputs from the TOMCAT 3D chemical transport model with satellite observations from the IASI instrument on the MetOp-A satellite. The dataset was created by Matilda A. Pimlott of the University of Leeds and is described in a 2022 preprint accepted for publication in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Use Cases

• Validate and compare chemical transport model outputs based on satellite-derived atmospheric constituent data.
• Analyze long-term changes in atmospheric composition based on monthly mean data for two distinct years (2010 and 2017).
• Study correlations between different atmospheric trace gases like methane (CH4) and the hydroxyl radical (OH) mentioned in the description.
• Assess the performance of retrieval schemes (RAL IMS-extended and CH4) for satellite-based atmospheric sounding.

Strengths

• Combines data from two distinct sources: a well-cited 3D chemical transport model (TOMCAT) and satellite observations from a specific instrument (IASI on MetOp-A).
• Covers five key atmospheric constituents (O3, CO, H2O, CH4, OH) relevant to climate and air quality studies.
• Provides data for two specific years (2010 and 2017), allowing for temporal comparison.
• The data generation and retrieval methods are documented in peer-reviewed literature and a specific preprint (Pimlott et al., 2022).

Limitations

• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale ML projects.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics and data structure must be inferred after download.
• The temporal coverage is limited to two non-consecutive years, which may restrict analysis of continuous trends.

Provenance

Source

University of Leeds (author Matilda A. Pimlott), using TOMCAT model and IASI/MetOp-A satellite data processed by Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL).

Collection Method

Model simulation and satellite retrieval using RAL's IMS-extended and CH4 retrieval schemes.

Time Range

2010 and 2017

Geography

Likely global, inferred from the use of a global chemical transport model and a satellite in polar orbit, but not explicitly stated.