Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) is one of the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) six major regulated criteria pollutants (Tropospheric Ozone, Nitrogen Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Lead, PM2.5 and PM 10 particulates). It irritates the eyes, nose, and lungs. High concentrations of SO2 can result in temporary breathing impairment. It is produced by combustion of coal, fuel oil, and gasoline, since these fuels contain sulfur in the combustion, and in the oxidation of naturally occurring sulfur gases. It is a precursor to sulfuric acid, which is a major constituent of acid rain. SO2 is injected into the stratosphere by volcanic eruptions. SO2 also is a major precursor to PM2.5, which is a significant health concern, and a main contributor to poor visibility.
Temporal coverage: 1 October 2004 - Present
The OMI Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) indicates the column density of sulfur dioxide in the tropospheric boundary-layer (corresponding to the center of mass altitude (CMA) of 0.9 km) and is measured in Dobson Units (DU). It is one of the parameters contained in the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) Level-3 SO2 (OMSO2e) product.
The OMSO2e product provides daily gridded global coverage with a temporal resolution of 1 day, imagery resolution of 2 km, and sensor/algorithm resolution of 0.25 x 0.25 degrees.
Temporal coverage: 1 January 2005 – present
The OMI Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Lower Troposphere layer indicates the column density of sulfur dioxide in the lower troposphere (corresponding to 2.5 km center of mass altitude (CMA)) and is measured in Dobson Units (DU). Sulfur Dioxide and Aerosol Index products are used to monitor volcanic clouds and detect pre-eruptive volcanic degassing globally. This information is used by the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers in advisories to airlines for operational decisions.
The OMI Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Lower Troposphere layer is a science parameter of the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) Level 2 Total Column Sulfur Dioxide (OMSO2) dataset, available from the OMI instrument on the Aura satellite. The sensor resolution is 25 km, imagery resolution is 2 km, and the temporal resolution is daily.
Temporal coverage: 1 January 2005 – present
The OMI Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Middle Troposphere layer indicates the column density of sulfur dioxide in the middle troposphere (corresponding to 7.5 km center of mass altitude (CMA)) and is measured in Dobson Units (DU). Sulfur Dioxide and Aerosol Index products are used to monitor volcanic clouds and detect pre-eruptive volcanic degassing globally. This information is used by the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers in advisories to airlines for operational decisions.
The OMI Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Middle Troposphere layer is a science parameter of the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) Level 2 Total Column Sulfur Dioxide (OMSO2) dataset, available from the OMI instrument on the Aura satellite. The sensor resolution is 25 km, imagery resolution is 2 km, and the temporal resolution is daily.
Temporal coverage: 1 January 2005 – present
The OMI Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Upper Troposphere and Stratosphere layer indicates the column density of sulfur dioxide in the upper troposphere and stratosphere (corresponding to 17 km center of mass altitude (CMA)) and is measured in Dobson Units (DU). Sulfur Dioxide and Aerosol Index products are used to monitor volcanic clouds and detect pre-eruptive volcanic degassing globally. This information is used by the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers in advisories to airlines for operational decisions.
The OMI Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Lower Troposphere layer is a science parameter of the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) Level 2 Total Column Sulfur Dioxide (OMSO2) dataset, available from the OMI instrument on the Aura satellite. The sensor resolution is 25 km, imagery resolution is 2 km, and the temporal resolution is daily.
References: OMSO2 Readme; OMSO2e Readme; DOI: https://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/datacollection/OMSO2e_V003.html