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OMI surface LER database

 
   
 
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page last modified:
27 October 2025
     

The OMI surface LER database contains the Lambertian-equivalent reflectivity (LER) of the Earth's surface at 23 one-nm wide wavelength bins between 328 and 499 nm. The LER albedo values were derived from OMI data using the Doubling-Adding KNMI (DAK) polarised radiative transfer code. The model consists of an atmosphere for which Rayleigh scattering and ozone absorption are taken into account, and which is bounded below by a Lambertian surface. The surface LER is available for each month of the year and for the following wavelengths: 328, 335, 342, 345, 354, 367, 372, 376, 380, 388, 406, 416, 418, 425, 440, 442, 452, 463, 471, 477, 488, 494, and 499 nm.


Archive:

Two versions of the database have been released in the past. Each database is available as a single HDF-5 file:

OMI-Aura_L3-OMLER_2004m10-2007m10_v003-2008m0910t100324.he5   (299 MB)

OMI-Aura_L3-OMLER_2005m01-2009m12_v003-2010m0503t063707.he5   (299 MB)

The spatial resolution of the database grid is 0.5°×0.5°. The format and the contents of the database file are both explained here.

Validation of the OMI surface LER climatology based on direct intercomparison with other surface LER climatologies is described here and here.

 
Data use / License / Citation:

The OMI surface LER database is free to use for commercial and non-commercial purposes. If you use the database for a publication (research or otherwise), or for any other purpose, please refer to the following publication:

Q.L. Kleipool, M.R. Dobber, J.F. de Haan, and P.F. Levelt, Earth surface reflectance climatology from 3 years of OMI data, J. Geophys. Res. 113, D18308, doi:10.1029/2008JD010290, 2008. (PDF)

We suggest that you include the following acknowledgement: "We acknowledge the free use of the OMI surface LER database provided by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI)."


Documentation:

  • Q.L. Kleipool, M.R. Dobber, J.F. de Haan, and P.F. Levelt, Earth surface reflectance climatology from 3 years of OMI data, J. Geophys. Res. 113, D18308, doi:10.1029/2008JD010290, 2008. (PDF)

  • L.G. Tilstra, O.N.E. Tuinder, P. Wang, and P. Stammes, Surface reflectivity climatologies from UV to NIR determined from Earth observations by GOME-2 and SCIAMACHY, J. Geophys. Res. Atmos. 122, 4084-4111, doi:10.1002/2016JD025940, 2017. (PDF)