TROPESS TCR-2: Global Surface Sulfate Aerosol Concentrations

TROPESS Chemical Reanalysis Surface Aerosol SO4 2-Hourly 3-dimensional Product provides global surface concentrations of sulfate aerosols from 2005 to 2021. The dataset is generated using JPL's MOMO-Chem data assimilation framework, which optimizes concentrations and emissions by assimilating data from multiple satellite sensors. Data is provided in netCDF4 format with a 2-hourly temporal resolution and a spatial grid of 1.125 x 1.125 degrees.

Use Cases

• Analyzing diurnal and seasonal cycles of sulfate aerosols based on the 2-hourly temporal resolution.
• Validating atmospheric chemistry models using the assimilated, multi-sensor reanalysis product.
• Studying long-term trends (2005-2021) in sulfate aerosol concentrations for climate impact assessments.
• Mapping global spatial distribution of sulfate pollution at a 1.125-degree resolution.

Strengths

• Provides a 17-year continuous record (2005-2021) for longitudinal climate studies.
• Uses a sophisticated multi-model, multi-constituent data assimilation framework (MOMO-Chem) to optimize both concentrations and emissions.
• Offers high temporal granularity with 2-hourly data, suitable for analyzing diurnal cycles.

Limitations

• Spatial resolution is coarse (approximately 125 km at the equator), limiting analysis of local-scale phenomena.
• Metadata completeness is low; specific column names, file sizes, and precise licensing terms are not provided in the sources.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2026-04-09 vs 2021-12-31) create uncertainty about the dataset's maintenance status.

Provenance

Source

NASA GES DISC; Principal Investigator: Miyazaki, Kazuyuki.

Collection Method

Data assimilation using JPL's MOMO-Chem framework with inputs from multiple satellite sensors.

Time Range

2005 to 2021

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:24:20.570819

Geography

Global