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Dust/Ash/Smoke Data Access and Tools

Dust, ash, and smoke data from NASA range from aerosol indexes to fire and thermal anomaly detections. Our datasets and tools help users find and integrate the data they need to track airborne particles, locate their sources, determine their downstream effects and other important facts.

Commonly Used Dust Score Data at a Glance

Very large dust storms lasting hours or days can be observed and tracked using satellite imagery. The amount of dust transported by these storms can be quantified using the Dust Score, which is calculated from data acquired by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite. The AIRS Dust Score indicates the level of atmospheric aerosols in Earth’s atmosphere over the ocean. Dust is probable when the score is above 380, and higher scores indicate more certainty that dust is present. The numerical scale is a qualitative representation of the presence of dust in the atmosphere, an indication of where large dust storms may form, and the areas that may be affected.

An asterisk (*) next to an entry indicates that near real-time (NRT) data products are available through NASA's Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE). While not intended for scientific research, NRT data are good resources for monitoring ongoing or time-critical events. For more information about the differences between NRT and Standard Science Products, please see Near Real-Time versus Standard Products.

Spatial ResolutionSpatial CoverageTemporal ResolutionTemporal CoverageSpectral ResolutionSatellite/ PlatformName (Sensor, Model, etc.)Observation, Model, or ReanalysisFile Format
50 kmGlobal6 min, hourly, 3-hourly, 6-hourly2016-present for NRT, 2002 for other2,378 infrared channels in the 3.74 to 15.4 micron spectral rangeAqua*AIRSObservationHDF-EOS

Dust/Ash/Smoke Datasets

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Dataset Version Platform Instrument Temporal Extent Spatial Extent Spatial Resolution Data Format
SAGE III/ISS L2 Monthly Solar Event Species Profiles (NetCDF) V006 6 ISS SAGE III 2017-06-07 to Present

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

0.01 Decimal Degrees x 0.01 Decimal Degrees netCDF-4
SAGE III/ISS L2 Monthly Solar Event Species Profiles (NetCDF) V053 53 ISS SAGE III 2017-05-31 to 2024-12-01

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

0.01 Decimal Degrees x 0.01 Decimal Degrees netCDF-4
SAGE III/ISS L2 Solar Event Species Profiles (HDF5) V006 6 ISS SAGE III 2017-06-07 to Present

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

0.01 Decimal Degrees x 0.01 Decimal Degrees HDF5
SAGE III/ISS L2 Solar Event Species Profiles (HDF5) V053 53 ISS SAGE III 2017-06-07 to 2024-12-01

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

0.01 Decimal Degrees x 0.01 Decimal Degrees HDF5
SAGE III/ISS L2 Solar Event Species Profiles (Native) V006 6 ISS SAGE III 2017-06-07 to Present

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

0.01 Decimal Degrees x 0.01 Decimal Degrees Binary
SAGE III/ISS L2 Solar Event Species Profiles (Native) V053 53 ISS SAGE III 2017-06-07 to 2024-12-01

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

0.01 Decimal Degrees x 0.01 Decimal Degrees Binary
SBUV2/NOAA-11 Level 2 Daily Ozone Profile and Total Column from CD-ROM V008 (SBUV2N11O3) 008 NOAA-11 SBUV/2 1988-12-01 to 2001-03-27

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

160 Kilometers x 160 Kilometers
SBUV2/NOAA-16 Level 2 Daily Ozone Profile and Total Column from CD-ROM V008 (SBUV2N16O3) 008 NOAA-16 SBUV/2 2000-10-03 to 2003-12-31

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

180 Kilometers x 180 Kilometers
SBUV2/NOAA-9 Level 2 Daily Ozone Profile and Total Column from CD-ROM V008 (SBUV2N09O3) 008 NOAA-9 SBUV/2 1985-02-02 to 1998-02-19

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

160 Kilometers x 160 Kilometers
SBUV/Nimbus-7 Level 2 Daily Ozone Profile and Total Column from CD-ROM V008 (SBUVN7O3) 008 Nimbus-7 SBUV 1978-10-31 to 1990-06-21

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

180 Kilometers x 180 Kilometers
SEAC4RS DC-8 Aircraft Miscellaneous Data 1 GEOS-5 Computer 2013-08-06 to 2013-09-23

N: 50.22 S: 19.37 E: -80.25 W: -125.99

NetCDF-3, ICARTT
SEAC4RS ER-2 Aircraft Miscellaneous Data 1 GEOS-5 Computer 2013-08-06 to 2013-09-23

N: 52.12 S: 15.53 E: -83.25 W: -125.96

NetCDF-3, ICARTT
Shuttle SBUV (SSBUV) Level 2 Ozone Profile and Total Column, Aerosol Index, and UV-Reflectivity V008 (SSBUVO3) 008 STS-34, STS-41, STS-43, STS-45, STS-56, STS-62, STS-66, STS-72 SSBUV 1996-01-12 to 1996-01-18

N: 23 S: -29 E: 180 W: -180

,

N: 58 S: -57 E: 180 W: -180

,

N: 39 S: -28 E: 180 W: -180

,

N: 56 S: -57 E: 180 W: -180

,

N: 57 S: -36 E: 180 W: -180

,

N: 29 S: -25 E: 180 W: -180

,

N: 28 S: -29 E: 180 W: -180

,

N: 34 S: -7 E: 180 W: -180

50 Kilometers x 50 Kilometers
Sounder SIPS: Sun Synchronous 13:30 orbit Climate Hyperspectral InfraRed Product (CHIRP): Calibrated Radiances from EOS-Aqua, S-NPP, JPSS-1/NOAA-20, V2 (SNDR13CHRP1) 2 Aqua, Suomi-NPP, NOAA-20 AIRS, CrIS 2002-09-01 to Present

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

13.5 Kilometers x 13.5 Kilometers
Sounder SIPS: Sun Synchronous 13:30 orbit Climate Hyperspectral InfraRed Product (CHIRP): Calibrated Radiances from EOS-Aqua, V2 (SNDR13CHRP1AQCal) 2 Aqua, Suomi-NPP, NOAA-20 AIRS, CrIS 2016-09-01 to Present

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

13.5 Kilometers x 13.5 Kilometers
Sounder SIPS: Sun Synchronous 13:30 orbit Climate Hyperspectral InfraRed Product (CHIRP): Calibrated Radiances from JPSS-1/NOAA-20, V2 (SNDR13CHRP1J1Cal) 2 Aqua, Suomi-NPP, NOAA-20 AIRS, CrIS 2018-02-17 to Present

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

13.5 Kilometers x 13.5 Kilometers
Sounder SIPS: Sun Synchronous 13:30 orbit Climate Hyperspectral InfraRed Product (CHIRP): Calibrated Radiances from S-NPP, V2 (SNDR13CHRP1SNCal) 2 Aqua, Suomi-NPP, NOAA-20 AIRS, CrIS 2015-11-02 to Present

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

13.5 Kilometers x 13.5 Kilometers
Standard Deviation of Monthly Frequency of Dust Storm over Land for Varying Intensities, Based on MODIS Aqua Deep Blue Level 2 Aerosol Products MYD04_L2 Collection 6.1, on a Global 0.1 by 0.1 Degree Grid, Level 3 Version 1 (MYDFDS_SDV_GLB_L3) 1 Aqua MODIS 2003-01-01 to 2022-12-31

N: 79.9 S: -80 E: 174.9 W: -175

0.1 Decimal Degrees x 0.1 Decimal Degrees
Standard Deviation of Monthly Frequency of Dust Storm over Land for Varying Intensities, Based on MODIS Terra Deep Blue Level 2 Aerosol Products MOD04_L2 Collection 6.1, on a Global 0.1 by 0.1 Degree Grid, Level 3 Version 1 (MODFDS_SDV_GLB_L3) 1 Terra MODIS 2000-01-01 to 2022-12-31

N: 79.9 S: -80 E: 174.9 W: -175

0.1 Decimal Degrees x 0.1 Decimal Degrees
STAQS NASA G-III High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO) Data 1 G-III HALO 2023-06-26 to 2023-08-27

N: 44.26 S: 33.44 E: -72.5 W: -119.5

HDF5
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AIRS

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a hyperspectral sounder that collects daily global measurements of water vapor and temperature profiles. Its aerosol-detecting capabilities mean that it produces data useful to the detection and tracking of dust, ash, and smoke.

Learn More About AIRS
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AIRS Near Real-Time Data

Near real-time 3D atmospheric data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument are available through NASA's Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for Earth observation (LANCE).
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Access AIRS data from GES DISC via OPeNDAP

Learn how to access and visualize Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) grid data from NASA's Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) in Python.

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