GOME NRT Sulfur Dioxide

Please note that these maps are small versions and that each map is clickable. A new window will appear with the normalsized jpg-version of the map. You should use a browser with activated JavaScript. Otherwise go to the Archive section down below, where data for each day are available. A brief introduction can also be found further down below.

NOTE: The ERS-2 platform is operating in gyroless mode since February 2001. Attitude and pointing control is now achieved using digital earth sensors and payload data. Several refinements of the software have been improving the ERS2 performance. Nevertheless, passive tracking of the sun on a daily basis is not always possible. Extended periods of no direct solar measurements in combination with several cooler switching can lead to artificial spectral structures in the sun-normalised eartshine nadir radiances impacting the trace gas retrieval. The quality of all trace gas data products presented here may be reduced depending on the trace gas data products. For most recent news on ERS2 performance contact ESA/ESRIN web pages.

All results on this page are preliminary!


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Archive

                                                                        
                                                                        
     December 2001            January 2002           February 2002      
  Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su    Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su    Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su  
                  1  2        1  2  3  4  5  6                 1  2  3  
   3  4  5  6  7  8  9     7  8  9 10 11 12 13     4  5  6  7  8  9 10  
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  17 18 19 20 21 22 23    21 22 23 24 25 26 27    18 19 20 21 22 23 24  
  24 25 26 27 28 29 30    28 29 30 31             25 26 27 28           
  31                                                                    
                                                                        
                                                                        
       March 2002              April 2002               May 2002        
  Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su    Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su    Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su  
               1  2  3     1  2  3  4  5  6  7           1  2  3  4  5  
   4  5  6  7  8  9 10     8  9 10 11 12 13 14     6  7  8  9 10 11 12  
  11 12 13 14 15 16 17    15 16 17 18 19 20 21    13 14 15 16 17 18 19  
  18 19 20 21 22 23 24    22 23 24 25 26 27 28    20 21 22 23 24 25 26  
  25 26 27 28 29 30 31    29 30                   27 28 29 30 31

Introduction

Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) is released to the troposphere mainly by fossil fuel combustion, volcanic emissions and oxidation of organic material in soils as well as biogenic emissions over the oceans (DMS, H2S). In the GOME spectra, the characteristic absorption structures of SO2 are readily identified in the spectral range of 315 to 327 nm, and using the Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) algorithm, integrated columns of SO2 can be determined. The challenge in quantifying the tropospheric SO2 is related to the fact, that as a result of the increased scattering in the UV, the sensitivity to the lowermost troposphere is strongly reduced compared to the upper troposphere. In order to account for this effect, an a priori assumption has to be made on the shape of the vertical distribution of SO2, which has a significant impact on the final result.
While the global background concentration of SO2 is difficult to quantify with GOME measurements, volcanic eruptions can readily be observed, and the emission plumes be monitored over several days. This also holds for minor explosions and continuous outgasing, that are difficult to monitor from the ground.
Under favourable conditions (no clouds, strong inversion), much smaller but still significantly enhanced SO2 columns can be observed in regions with intense coal burning, in particular in winter. The detection of anthropogenic SO2 emissions from space is another demonstration of the up to now unparalleled sensitivity of the GOME instrument towards tropospheric constituents.
More detailed information on the GOME SO2 analysis at the University of Bremen can be found here.


Last change: 12/14/2001
Contact: Folkard Wittrock