TOMSM3OVP: Daily Ground Station Overpass Atmospheric Data

Global satellite data provides daily atmospheric measurements from the Meteor-3 Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument. The dataset contains total column ozone, UV aerosol index, Lambertian effective surface reflectivity, and sulfur dioxide index values derived from the best-matched field-of-view to specific ground stations. Data were produced by the Laboratory for Atmospheres at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and are stored in ASCII format.

Use Cases

• Monitoring long-term ozone layer trends based on daily total column ozone measurements.
• Tracking aerosol plumes from dust storms or wildfires using the UV aerosol index.
• Detecting and quantifying volcanic eruptions via the sulfur dioxide index.
• Calibrating or validating atmospheric models with ground station overpass reflectivity data.

Strengths

• Data is derived from a dedicated satellite instrument (Meteor-3 TOMS), providing a consistent measurement source.
• Provides a daily time series for the operational lifetime of the instrument, offering temporal continuity.
• Dataset is hosted on multiple platforms (NASA Earthdata, Data.gov), indicating established use and accessibility.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing: exact column names, row counts, and file sizes are unknown across all sources.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2026-04-09 and 1994-07-05) create uncertainty about data currency and maintenance.
• The spatial coverage is implied but not explicitly defined; it is limited to satellite overpass locations for specific ground stations.

Provenance

Source

Laboratory for Atmospheres, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (Code 614).

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing data from the Meteor-3 Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument, processed to version 8.

Time Range

The operational period of the Meteor-3 TOMS instrument (specific dates not provided).

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:44:09.680413

Geography

Global, but specific to the locations of ground station overpasses.