TROPOMI

TROPOMI monitors trace gases and aerosols relevant for air quality and climate

TROPOMI (Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument) is a cutting-edge satellite instrument aboard the European Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor (S5P) satellite, launched in October 2017. It plays an essential role in gathering data that helps scientists to better understand atmospheric processes and environmental changes. TROPOMI’s high-resolution data contributes to global efforts in monitoring air quality, tracking climate trends, and protecting the ozone layer, making it a key tool for advancing environmental science and policy worldwide.

Who uses TROPOMI data?

The users of the TROPOMI data include scientists, researchers, and environmental agencies worldwide. A key user of our data is the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), that utilizes the data for atmospheric composition forecasting and reanalysis. Other examples of applications using TROPOMI data are the UN methane emissions alert and response system (MARS), the Support to Aviation Control Service (SACS) and UV index forecasts.

How does TROPOMI work?

TROPOMI is an imaging spectrometer. It measures the solar radiation that is backscattered by the Earth and the atmosphere. By measuring the backscattered radiation for many wavelengths, TROPOMI can derive the concentration of different gases in the atmosphere. TROPOMI can observe the entire Earth in a single day and provides data with a spatial sampling of approximately 3.5 x 5.5 km for most of the data products and 7 x 5.5 km for the shortwave infrared data products.

Who developed TROPOMI?

The TROPOMI instrument has been commissioned by the Netherlands Space Office (NSO) and ESA and was designed and built by Airbus NL, TNO and SRON. The S5P satellite has been by ESA and is part of the European Copernicus programme. The data products are developed and maintained by the Atmospheric Mission Performance Cluster (ATM-MPC) consortium and the Dutch national space programme, and is carried out by the following organisations:

• Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), consortium lead
• Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
• German Aerospace Center (DLR)
• Institute for Environmental Physics, University of Bremen (IUP-Bremen)
• Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (MPIC)
• Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU)
• Science & Technology (S[&]T)
• Space Research Organisation Netherlands (SRON)
• Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh)