VIIRS/SNPP Deep Blue Aerosol L2: 6 km Swath Data

6-minute global measurements provide Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) at a 550 nm reference wavelength. The dataset uses two primary retrieval algorithms: the Deep Blue algorithm over land and the Satellite Ocean Aerosol Retrieval (SOAR) algorithm over ocean. Its at-nadir resolution is 6 km x 6 km, aggregating data from the VIIRS sensor aboard the Suomi NPP satellite.

Use Cases

• Monitoring regional air pollution levels based on Aerosol Optical Thickness retrievals.
• Validating and improving atmospheric models using global, 6-minute temporal resolution data.
• Studying long-range transport of dust and smoke plumes across land and ocean surfaces.
• Assessing aerosol impacts on climate and radiative forcing using spectral AOT data.

Strengths

• Provides global coverage with a high temporal resolution of measurements every 6 minutes.
• Leverages heritage algorithms (Deep Blue and SOAR) proven on MODIS and SeaWiFS sensors.
• Offers a specific at-nadir spatial resolution of 6 km x 6 km.

Limitations

• Spatial resolution degrades (increases) away from the satellite nadir due to sensor geometry.
• Metadata is incomplete; column names, row counts, and exact file sizes are not provided in the sources.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2026-04-09 and 2024-07-25) create uncertainty about data freshness.

Provenance

Source

ASIPS (Aerosol, Cloud, Convection, and Precipitation (ACCP) Standard Interface Process Simulator), NASA

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing data from the VIIRS instrument on the Suomi NPP satellite, processed with standard NASA Level-2 algorithms.

Freshness

2026-04-09 20:54:24.012445

Geography

Global