This webpage contains the details and instructions of the web-based interactive visualization tool of the satellite-derived Total Ozone Mapping Spectromenter Aerosol Index (TOMS AI). To get to the input page please follow the link below.

• Monthly/Seasonal TOMS AI Composites

Data

The TOMS AI is calculated on the basis of multispectral measurements in the ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths derived from the TOMS instrument on board the Nimbus-7(11/1978-4/1993) and Earth Probe (8/1996-present) satellites, which allows the detection of UV absorbing aerosols over both land and sea surfaces. Here we use the TOMS AI data Version 8. The index is unitless and is scaled (multiply be 0.1 to get real Aerosol Index). To calculate TOMS AI composites the index starting from the lowest value (0) is used. However, for a better visualization only data greater or equal to 7 are mapped. The original data can be found on the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer Home Page. The aerosol index was first published by Herman et al. (1997).

Data Input Page

Satellites

Select 'Nimbus 7' to create TOMS AI composites of the NIMBUS 7 satellite (11/1978-4/1993). Selelct 'Earth Probe' to create TOMS AI composites of the EARTHPROBE satellite (8/1996-3/2005).

Month/Season

Select the beginning and ending month of season of interest.

Years

Select the years of interest. Depending on the satellite selected different years are enabled to be selected. For seasons that span a year (e.g. DJF), please enter year of the LAST month. Use the "All" button to select all the years where where all 12 month are available. Use the "Clear" button to deselect all previously selected years.
Please remember that the following months are not available.
Nimbus 7: Jan-Oct 1978, Jun 1979 and May-Dec 1993
Earthprobe: Jan-Jul 1996 and Apr-Dec 2005

Map Area

Select a predefined area, or enter the latitudes and longitudes defining your map area of interest. Lowest and highest Latitude values must lie within the range of -90 to +90 degree with the lowest value being smaller than the highest value. Lowest and highest Longitude values must lie within the range of -180 to +180 degree with the lowest value being smaller than the highest value.

Output Options

Customize you output plot by using the following options.
Scale Interval and Range min/max: If you want to customize the scale of the plot than enter the desired contour interval, minimum range and maximum range. This will override the default. By default the interval is 1, the minimum range is 7 and maximum range is the regional highest TOMS AI value. The maximum range must be greater than minimum range. The resultant number of contour levels should not exceed 40. Fields must be either all filled or all left blank.
Color Type: Select 'color' to make you plot using colors. Select 'black/white' to make your plot using only black and white.
Plot Type: Select 'filled' to create filled contours and a scale bar at the bottom. Select 'isolines' to plot only contour lines with labels on them and no scale bar.
Include Country Outlines: Select to include contry outlines in the plot. If not selected only continent outlines will be plotted. By default this box is selected.
Include Grid Lines: Select to include grid lines in the plot. If not selected no grid lines will be plotted. By default this box in not selected.

Programming

Contact

Sebastian Engelstaedter
Climate Systems Research Lab (CSRL)
Oxford University Centre for the Environment (OUCE)
South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
phone: +44 (0)1865 285194
email: sebastian.engelstaedter(at)ouce.ox.ac.uk

Please report any bugs !!!

Acknowlegements

I would like to thank

• the guys from NASA/GSFC for making the TOMS data available

• David Fanning and Mark New for making their IDL routines available

• Arnaud Desitter and Mark Jackson for technical help and IT support