OFFLINE TOTAL OZONE COLUMN
Composite offline images
NOTE: Metop-A+B image is for demonstrational purposes only, such multi-satellite product is not processed or disseminated.
| Metop-A | Metop-B | Metop-A+B |
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Description: Offline total ozone column product provides information about vertical column densities of ozone in the atmosphere. It is being produced with the latest algorithm version which is operational at the sensing time.
Type: Offline. The product is available to users in 15 days from sensing. Typical delay is 2-3 days.
Theoretical basis: The retrieval of the product is based on GOME-2 (ir)radiance measurements in the wavelength region of 325-335 nm.
Processing: DLR generates vertical column products with Universal Processor for UV/VIS Atmospheric Spectrometers (UPAS), inside which the GOME Data Processor (GDP) operational algorithm is the baseline algorithm for the trace gas column retrievals from GOME-2. The latest GDP 4.8 uses an optimised DOAS (Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy) algorithm to determine the trace gas slant column. The DOAS slant column fitting is followed by Air Mass Factor (AMF) conversions to generate vertical columns.
Units and spatial resolution: Ozone columns are given in Dobson Units (DU). GOME-2/Metop-A has 24 forward-scan pixels with a nominal resolution of 40 km x 40 km, and 8 back-scan pixels with a nominal resolution of 120 km x 40 km. GOME-2/Metop-B has 24 forward-scan pixels with a nominal resolution of 80 km x 40 km, and 8 back-scan pixels with a nominal resolution of 240 km x 40 km. Both forward- and back-scan pixels are processed and written to the products.
Validation: This product is validated by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH). The validation is based on detailed comparisons of existing satellite data with ground-based measurements. Visit O3M SAF offline total ozone column validation website for further information.
Online quality monitoring: The product quality is constantly monitored by KNMI. The online monitoring is based on near real-time validation of total ozone via data assimilation. For further information, visit website: Validation of O3M SAF GOME-2 Total Ozone with data assimilation.
Archiving and dissemination: This product is archived at the DLR and available via offline data access page. Upon request, products can be directly pushed to dedicated FTP servers located at the users' premises.
File format: The product is delivered in HDF5 format, each file containing one satellite orbit (sunlit portion).
Algorithm version information:
| Time period | GOME-2 / Metop-A | GOME-2 / Metop-B |
|---|---|---|
| 04.01.2007 – 15.07.2013 | GDP 4.6 | N.A. |
| 15.07.2013 - 15.10.2016 | GDP 4.7 | GDP 4.7 |
| 16.10.2016 onwards | GDP 4.8 | GDP 4.8 |
Important algorithm changes in GDP 4.8:
- Improved retrieval algorithms and quality flags:
- O3: quality flag indexing volcanic SO2 affecting total ozone retrieval added
- Cloud algorithm improvements (OCRA & ROCINN)
Documents: