EO·Atlas
Atmospheric limb sounding
Retrieves vertical profiles of atmospheric composition (O3, H2O, temperature) from limb or solar/stellar occultation geometry; high vertical resolution makes it suited for stratospheric and upper-tropospheric science.
Profile retrieval via optimal estimation or radiative transfer inversion against solar Fraunhofer lines. Limb geometry provides the vertical resolution that distinguishes this class from nadir column-mapping methods; tangent-height stepping yields profiles rather than integrated columns. Wikipedia: Atmospheric sounding
- OMPS (Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite)
via Suomi NPP
OMPS combines nadir ozone mapping/profiling and limb ozone profiling; Suomi NPP carries both nadir and limb instruments.
- MLS (Microwave Limb Sounder)
via Aura
MLS is a limb-sounding microwave radiometer/spectrometer on Aura for vertical profiles of ozone and other atmospheric constituents.
- Special Sensor Ultraviolet Spectrographic Imager
via DMSP-F18
ssusi ultraviolet limb/nadir atmospheric/ionospheric observing payload on DMSP-F18.
- Special Sensor Ultraviolet Limb Imager
via DMSP-F18
ssuli ultraviolet limb/nadir atmospheric/ionospheric observing payload on DMSP-F18.
- INSAT-3DS Sounder
via INSAT-3DS
Sounder retrieves vertical temperature and humidity profiles.
- Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer - New Generation
via Metop-SG-A1
IASI-NG provides passive infrared atmospheric sounding.
- IKFS-2 Infrared Fourier Spectrometer
via Meteor-M N2-4
IKFS-2 is an infrared Fourier spectrometer supporting atmospheric sounding variables on Meteor-M N2-4.
- Atmospheric Infrared Ultra-spectral spectrometer
via Gaofen-5 (GF-5)
AIUS is an infrared limb/solar-occultation ultra-spectral sounder for atmospheric chemistry profiles.
- Geostationary Interferometric Infrared Sounder-2
via FY-4B
GIIRS-2 provides geostationary MWIR/TIR temperature and humidity sounding.
- INSAT-3DR Sounder
via INSAT-3DR
INSAT-3DR Sounder provides vertical temperature and humidity profile retrievals from 18 infrared channels plus one visible channel.
- Prototype Geostationary Interferometric Infrared Sounder
via FY-4A
GIIRS provides geostationary MWIR/TIR temperature and humidity sounding.
- InfraRed Sounder (IRS)pending review
IRS is a hyperspectral infrared sounder for temperature, humidity, wind-profile and trace-gas sounding; MTG-S1 is in commissioning with routine service expected after commissioning.
Maps tropospheric NO2 and SO2 column density from UV-VIS backscatter; good for urban air quality, shipping emissions, and volcanic SO2 tracking.
- [1]Wikipedia: Atmospheric soundingcommunity2026-05-22
Edited from public sources. Last reviewed 2026-05-22 by SpectraWorks editorial. See the data dictionary for field definitions.
How to cite this page
Plain text
Atmospheric limb sounding. EO-Atlas, SpectraWorks B.V., last reviewed 2026-05-22. https://eo-atlas.org/topics/methodologies/atmospheric-limb-nadir-sounding (CC BY 4.0)
BibTeX
@misc{eoatlas:topics:methodologies:atmospheric-limb-nadir-sounding,
title = {Atmospheric limb sounding},
author = {{EO-Atlas}},
publisher = {SpectraWorks B.V.},
year = {2026},
note = {Last reviewed 2026-05-22. CC BY 4.0},
url = {https://eo-atlas.org/topics/methodologies/atmospheric-limb-nadir-sounding}
}