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

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 Older versions will no longer be available and have been superseded by Version 3.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.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Maintainer Earthdata Forum
Last Updated April 21, 2026, 04:53 (UTC)
Created April 1, 2025, 19:32 (UTC)
accessLevel public
bureauCode {026:00}
catalog_conformsTo https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
harvest_object_id 53130ab1-5bba-4148-b0e7-dc0ddce341f5
harvest_source_id b99e41c6-fe79-4c19-bbc3-9b6c8111bfac
harvest_source_title Science Discovery Engine
identifier 10.5067/MEASURES/SO2/DATA204
license https://www.usa.gov/government-works
modified 2026-04-13T22:16:02Z
programCode {026:000}
publisher NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD/TISL/GESDISC
resource-type Dataset
source_datajson_identifier true
source_hash d3938d3507ae7b8485dca1e09a626532d11764ca627e6ee8a196a20a30b6a258
source_schema_version 1.1
spatial ["GEODETIC",[{"WestBoundingCoordinate":-180,"NorthBoundingCoordinate":90,"EastBoundingCoordinate":180,"SouthBoundingCoordinate":-90}]]
temporal 1978-11-01/1993-05-07
theme {"Earth Science"}