AERDB_M3_VIIRS_SNPP: Monthly Aerosol Data on a 1-Degree Grid

Global satellite-derived aerosol data is provided on a 1x1 degree latitude-longitude grid, aggregated monthly from daily observations. The dataset contains 45 science data layers, including aerosol optical depth and Angstrom exponent, derived from the VIIRS instrument on the Suomi NPP satellite. Monthly grid elements are only considered valid if they contain data from at least three valid days within the month.

Use Cases

• Tracking long-term trends in atmospheric aerosols based on monthly aggregated statistics.
• Modeling regional air quality and pollution transport using the 1-degree gridded geospatial data.
• Validating climate and atmospheric models with satellite-derived aerosol optical depth measurements.
• Studying seasonal and interannual variability of aerosols from the continuous time series starting in 2012.

Strengths

• Contains 45 distinct science data set (SDS) layers for detailed aerosol analysis.
• Provides a continuous monthly record starting from March 1, 2012, enabling long-term trend studies.
• Implements a quality filter requiring at least 3 valid days of data per month to ensure reliable grid elements.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as exact row count, specific column names, and detailed file size are unavailable across all sources.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without explicit terms provided in the input.
• Spatial resolution is limited to a 1x1 degree grid, which may be too coarse for local-scale analyses.

Provenance

Source

LAADS (Level-1 and Atmosphere Archive & Distribution System), NASA.

Collection Method

Derived from arithmetic means of Version-2.0 daily Level 3 gridded products (AERDB_D3_VIIRS_SNPP) from the VIIRS instrument on the Suomi NPP satellite.

Time Range

March 2012 to present (ongoing).

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:11:35.136396

Geography

Global.