TROPOMI

TROPOMI is a Dutch environmental initiative that will provide highly accurate global daily measurements of our atmosphere from space. After TROPOMI is launched in 2014, the spectrometer will provide us with tools to better understand our environment and will help us take effective steps toward keeping our planet healthy.

 

Satellite creating atmospheric profiles - image: ESATROPOMI brings the best of two worlds together based on the success of previous sensors SCIAMACHY (flying on ESA-satellite ENVISAT) and OMI (flying on the NASA-satellite Aura) and guarantees the data continuation key to informative scientific studies. TROPOMI’s high resolution global daily measurements will provide information about air pollution, green house gases, methane and the ozone hole. With TROPOMI’s 10km x 10km resolution, pollution will be directly traced to its source at the same time as the data is used to look into the effects of environmental policy changes like the Montreal Protocol. By combining OMI’s high resolution and wide field of view with Schiamachy’s large wavelength range, TROPOMI will gather unprecedented amounts of essential information about our planet’s fragile atmosphere – an estimated six times the amount of atmospheric data currently available!

 

The Netherlands and TROPOMI


Immersed grating for TROPOMI - credit: TNO

TROPOMI is a Dutch initiative and the Netherlands brings exceptional expertise to the project. The SRON and TNO-created immersed grating concept as well as improvements in spectrometer calibration have led to a huge technology advance in Earth observation possibilities. Scientific leadership is in the hands of SRON and KNMI. KNMIbrings practical data analysis and use to the table with pollution images viewable online and even as a layer in Google Earth. Dutch Space leads the instrument’s development and creation and the Netherlands Space Office plays the role of project initiator. The Dutch ministries of Economic Affairs, Education, Culture and Science, Transport, Public Works and Water Management and finally Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment have come together to finance the project, ensuring a bright future for the Netherlands in Earth observation and environmental research.