TROPOMI/Sentinel-5P: Near-UV Aerosol Properties at 7.5km x 3km

A 32-year multi-decadal record provides aerosol absorption optical depth, total optical depth, layer height, UV index, and single scattering albedo derived from satellite near-UV observations. This Level-2 product, part of NASA's MEaSUREs program, offers data at approximately 7.5km by 3km resolution and includes ancillary ocean surface albedo and terrain pressure. Data are stored in NetCDF-4 format and are processed from calibrated radiances, with a reprocessing to version 2.0.1 L1B data planned for the entire historical record.

Use Cases

• Tracking long-term aerosol trends and variability based on the 32-year satellite record.
• Modeling aerosol radiative forcing and climate impacts based on aerosol optical depth and single scattering albedo measurements.
• Analyzing spatial distribution of atmospheric particulates over continents based on the 7.5km x 3km geospatial data.
• Validating and improving atmospheric models using ancillary data for ocean-corrected surface albedo and terrain pressure.

Strengths

• Provides a long-term, consistent 32-year Fundamental Climate Data Record (FCDR) derived from three satellite sensors.
• Offers specific aerosol properties, including absorption optical depth and single scattering albedo, at a defined spatial resolution of approximately 7.5km x 3km.
• Data is part of NASA's authoritative MEaSUREs program and is hosted at the Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC).

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are not provided across any source platform.
• The dataset is undergoing reprocessing, indicating potential version inconsistencies between data before and after July 19, 2022.
• Spatial coverage is explicitly stated for continents only, excluding full global coverage.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), MEaSUREs program, Sentinel-5P TROPOMI instrument.

Collection Method

Derived from a 32-year record of satellite near-UV observations by three sensors, processed into Level-2 data products.

Time Range

32-year multi-decadal record (specific start year not stated).

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:19:55.282411

Geography

Over the continents (global land coverage).