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OMI Instrument Science
OMI
derives its heritage from NASA's
TOMS
instrument, and ESA's
GOME
instrument (currently flying on ERS-2 satellite).
However, it can measure many more atmospheric constituents
than TOMS,
and provides much better ground resolution than GOME
(13 km x 25
km for OMI
vs. 40 km
x 320 km for
GOME),
and unlike GOME,
which provides 3 day global coverage, OMI
will provide daily global coverage.
OMI
is the key instrument on EOS
Aura for 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
will measure, together with its companion instruments
MLS,
HIRDLS,
Criteria Pollutants such as O3,
NO2,
SO2
and aerosols. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated
these atmospheric constituents as posing serious threats to human health
and agricultural productivity.
These measurements will be made at near
urban scale resolution and track industrial pollution
and biomass burning.
OMI
will detect volcanic ash and sulfur dioxide produced
in volcanic eruptions with up to 40 times more sensitivity
than TOMS
and GOME.
These measurements are important for aircraft safety.
OMI
will measure ozone profiles (in the UV)
complimentary to those measured by TES
and HIRDLS
(in the IR) and
MLS
(in the microwave).
OMI
will measure BrO,
Formaldehyde, and OClO
which all play a major role in stratospheric chemistry
in the stratosphere and troposphere.
OMI
will measure the total amount of atmospheric ozone,
NO2
as well as lower atmospheric dust, smoke and other
aerosols.
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