Earthdata Forum

What does the “vertical_column” variable represent in the TEMPO L2 and L3 files?

The “vertical_column” is the number of molecules of the trace gas in a column of air above a unit area on the Earth's surface. The formaldehyde product provides the total vertical column, which is the column of gas from the surface to the top of the atmosphere. The nitrogen dioxide (NO2) product provides estimates of both the tropospheric and stratospheric columns, which are the columns below and above the tropopause. The sum of these is the total NO2 vertical column.