TOMSN7SO2: Nimbus-7 Satellite Sulfur Dioxide Measurements

Nimbus-7 satellite data from 1978-1993 provides a Level 2 orbital swath record of sulfur dioxide (SO2) vertical columns. The dataset is reprocessed using a four UV wavelength band algorithm to create an Earth Science Data Record for volcanic and anthropogenic SO2 masses and emissions. It supports studies of air quality degradation, acid rain, and climate impacts from sulfate aerosols.

Use Cases

• Studying volcanic eruption emissions and expanding the historical eruption database based on the SO2 record.
• Analyzing anthropogenic SO2 sources from power plants and refineries using the measurement-based ESDR.
• Investigating climate change impacts from stratospheric sulfate aerosols formed by volcanic SO2.
• Assessing surface-level air quality degradation and acid rain caused by SO2.
• Examining cloud reflectivity and precipitation alterations from free tropospheric SO2 aerosols.

Strengths

• Provides a fifteen-year continuous record from the Nimbus-7 satellite (1978-1993).
• Uses a reprocessed, consistent algorithm (MS_SO2) across four UV wavelength bands for improved measurement accuracy.
• Created under NASA's MEaSUREs program, indicating a curated Earth System Data Record for research environments.

Limitations

• Column names and specific data structure are unknown, limiting detailed understanding of the dataset's variables.
• There is a conflict in the last updated metadata: one source lists 2026-04-09, another lists 1993-05-07, casting doubt on the provenance of the current version.
• Dataset size and row counts are unspecified across all sources.

Provenance

Source

Goddard Earth Science (GES) Data and Information Services Center (DISC)

Collection Method

Backscatter Ultraviolet (BUV) measurements from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument on NASA's Nimbus-7 satellite.

Time Range

1978-1993

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:30:58.822301

Geography

Global orbital swath coverage