XAERDT_L2_VIIRS_SNPP: Aerosol Measurements from Suomi NPP Satellite

45 Science Data Set layers provide aerosol optical depth and related parameters at a 6-km spatial resolution, derived from the VIIRS sensor on the Suomi NPP satellite. This dataset is part of NASA's MEaSUREs project, which applies a consistent Dark Target algorithm across seven geostationary and low-Earth orbit sensors to ensure scientific maturity. Its 6-minute cadence generates approximately 130 data granules during daylight hours from January 2019 through December 2022.

Use Cases

• Monitoring regional air quality and pollution transport based on Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) parameters.
• Validating and calibrating aerosol models using a consistent algorithm applied across multiple satellite platforms.
• Studying diurnal aerosol patterns leveraging the 6-minute temporal resolution of the data swaths.
• Conducting climate research on aerosol radiative forcing using the 37 geophysical parameters provided.

Strengths

• Contains 45 distinct data layers (8 geolocation, 37 geophysical), providing a detailed aerosol profile.
• Part of a benchmark NASA MEaSUREs project ensuring algorithm consistency across 7 sensor/platform combinations.
• Offers high temporal resolution with data collected at a 6-minute cadence.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage is limited to a specific four-year window (January 2019 – December 2022).
• Key metadata such as exact row count, file size, and a complete column schema are not provided across sources.
• Spatial resolution is 6-km at nadir, which may be too coarse for hyper-localized studies.

Provenance

Source

NASA LAADS, part of the MEaSUREs program led by Robert Levy.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing using the VIIRS instrument on the Suomi NPP platform, processed with a special version of the MODIS Dark Target aerosol retrieval algorithm.

Time Range

January 2019 – December 2022

Freshness

2026-04-09 20:54:37.910464

Geography

Global swath coverage from the Suomi NPP satellite's low-Earth orbit.