OMI

Aura's Ozone Monitoring Instrument

This image is an animated version of the Aura satellite in orbit. The satellite, seen centered in the image, is made up of silver and gold box-like shapes and instruments. Spanning out to the right of the satellite is a long sheet of solar panels. In the background of the image at the bottom is a portion of Earth seen with clouds and a blue haze surrounding it. The top of the background is the deep black of space, with a cluster of green colored stars to the left.

Aura's Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) instrument can distinguish between aerosol types, such as smoke, dust, and sulfates, and measures cloud pressure and coverage, which provides data to derive tropospheric ozone.

OMI continues the TOMS record for total ozone and other atmospheric parameters related to ozone chemistry and climate. OMI measurements are highly synergistic with the other instruments on the Aura platform. OMI is a nadir-viewing wide-field-imaging spectrometer, giving daily global coverage. It provides mapping of pollution products from an urban to super-regional scale.

The instrument observes Earth's backscattered radiation with a wide-field telescope feeding two imaging grating spectrometers. Each spectrometer employs a CCD detector. Onboard calibration includes a white light source, LEDs, and a multi-surface solar-calibration diffuser. A depolarizer removes the polarization from the backscattered radiation.

OMI has been monitoring the recovery of the ozone layer in response to the phase out of chemicals, such as CFCs, agreed to by the nations of the world in the Montreal protocol and later modifications to it at Copenhagen and London. OMI measures the total column amount of atmospheric ozone nitrogen dioxide as well as lower atmospheric dust, smoke, and other aerosols. OMI measures ozone profiles (in the UV) complementary to those measured by TES and HIRDLS (in the IR) and MLS (in the microwave). OMI measures bromine monoxide, formaldehyde, and chlorine dioxide which all play a role in chemistry of the stratosphere and troposphere.

Browse the OMI Science Feature Collection

OMI helps improve understanding and assessment of:

Total Ozone

OMI employs hyperspectral imaging in a push-broom mode to observe solar backscatter radiation in the visible and ultraviolet. The hyperspectral capabilities improve the accuracy and precision of the total ozone amounts and allow for accurate radiometric and wavelength self-calibration over the long term.

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A side-by-side comparison of modeled ozone concentration in Earths atmosphere with the Montreal Protocol (left) and without (right).
Previous “world-avoided” experiments have shown that, without the Montreal Protocol, ozone levels would be depleted globally by the mid-twentieth century.
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

Pollution and Human Health

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated atmospheric constituents such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and aerosols pose serious threats to human health and agricultural productivity. OMI measurements of these pollutants are made at near urban scale resolution and track industrial pollution and biomass burning.

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A map of the U.S. showing average nitrogen dioxide concentrations for 2022. The data is color-coded. Higher concentrations are in red and lower concentrations in blue.
This map shows average concentrations of nitrogen dioxide for 2022 over the U.S., as detected by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument on NASA's Aura satellite. Higher concentrations are in red and purple. Lower concentrations are in blue.
NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio

Volcanic Effects

OMI detects volcanic ash and sulfur dioxide produced in volcanic eruptions with up to at least 100 times more sensitivity than TOMS. These measurements are important for aircraft safety.

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Grayscale map of Indonesia with orange data overlay. The orange is concentrated in a splotch in the bottom middle of the image as well as in the top right.
Volcanic sulfur dioxide emissions from Indonesia’s many volcanoes are shown in shades of orange. The data was produced from observations from NASA’s Aura satellite.
NASA’s Earth Observatory / Jesse Allen

OMI Stories

Article
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NASA, EPA Tackle NO2 Air Pollution in Overburdened Communities

A map of the U.S. showing average nitrogen dioxide concentrations for 2022. The data is color-coded. Higher concentrations are in red and lower concentrations in blue.
Article
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2023 Ozone Hole Ranks 16th Largest, NASA and NOAA Researchers Find

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Protecting the Ozone Layer Also Protects Earth’s Ability to Sequester Carbon

Article3 years ago
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Seeing the COVID-19 Pandemic from Space

Article4 years ago
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NASA Study Finds Reduced African Grassland Fires Contribute to Short-lived Air Quality Improvements

Article4 years ago

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