Earth Observation Satellite Overview Changes in the ozone layer caused by release of CFC's in the atmosphere have the potential of producing biological damage through increased UVB radiation. While cloud cover provides protection on the ground against solar radiation in the visible and near UV wavelengths, biologically damaging radiation near 300 nm is controlled primarily by the total ozone content.
Total ozone is highly variable on small spatial scales and short time scales.
TOMS maps the spatial distribution of total ozone using high resolution, thus providing information for estimating the potential biological damage at any location. A second capability is the detection of volcanic eruptions through measurement of sulfur dioxide contained in such eruptions. Large eruptions, such as the June 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, are expected to have climatic effects. TOMS data can be used to make quantitative estimates of sulfur dioxide gas which is a precursor of stratospheric aerosol clouds that cool the earth. TOMS measures the albedo of the earth's atmosphere at six narrow spectral bands in the nearultraviolet.