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TOMS/N7 MS SO2 Vertical Column 1-Orbit L2 Swath 50x50 km V3 (TOMSN7SO2) at GES DISC

Metadata Updated: April 9, 2026

Version 3 is the current version of the data set. Older versions will no longer be available and have been superseded by Version 3. The goal of this data set is to create and archive a Level 2 SO2 Earth Science Data Record (ESDR) from backscatter Ultraviolet (BUV) measurements from Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) flown on NASA's Nimbus - 7 satellite in 1978-1993. We apply TOMS ozone team calibration techniques and consistent MEaSUREs SO2 (MS_SO2) algorithm, to obtain the best measurement-based ESDR of volcanic and anthropogenic SO2 masses and emissions. As part of the NASA's Making Earth System Data Records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs) program, the Goddard Earth Science (GES) Data and Information Data Center (DISC) has released a new SO2 Earth System Data Record (ESDR), TOMSN7SO2, re-processed using new 4 UV wavelength bands MS_SO2 algorithm that spans the full Nimbus 7 data period. TOMSN7SO2 is a Level 2 orbital swath product, which will be used to study the fifteen-year SO2 record from the Nimbus-7 TOMS and to expand the historical database of known volcanic eruptions. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) is a short-lived gas primarily produced by volcanoes, power plants, refineries, metal smelting and burning of fossil fuels. Where SO2 remains near the Earth s surface, it is toxic, causes acid rain, and degrades air quality. Where SO2 is lofted into the free troposphere, it forms aerosols that can alter cloud reflectivity and precipitation. In the stratosphere, volcanic SO2 forms sulfate aerosols that can result in climate change.

Access & Use Information

Public: This dataset is intended for public access and use. License: See this page for license information.

Downloads & Resources

Dates

Metadata Created Date April 11, 2025
Metadata Updated Date April 9, 2026

Metadata Source

Harvested from NASA Data.json

Additional Metadata

Resource Type Dataset
Metadata Created Date April 11, 2025
Metadata Updated Date April 9, 2026
Publisher NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD/TISL/GESDISC
Maintainer
Identifier 10.5067/MEASURES/SO2/DATA204
Data Last Modified 2026-04-06
Category Earth Science
Public Access Level public
Bureau Code 026:00
Metadata Context https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.jsonld
Schema Version https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
Catalog Describedby https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.json
Harvest Object Id ebfc88d5-43f0-4c22-9e0e-1860c117c790
Harvest Source Id 58f92550-7a01-4f00-b1b2-8dc953bd598f
Harvest Source Title NASA Data.json
License https://www.usa.gov/government-works
Old Spatial "GEODETIC",{"WestBoundingCoordinate":-180,"NorthBoundingCoordinate":90,"EastBoundingCoordinate":180,"SouthBoundingCoordinate":-90}
Program Code 026:000
Source Datajson Identifier True
Source Hash ed6bdf81210d79585296ae5bca781ef0eee50a584aa080a203ed5b8cace3ce44
Source Schema Version 1.1
Spatial
Temporal 1978-11-01/1993-05-07

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