Artist depiction of MOPITT satellite-based instrument operating in space.

The MOPITT instrument in orbit. Click for larger image.

MOPITT is an instrument flying on NASA's Earth Observing System Terra spacecraft, measuring tropospheric carbon monoxide (CO) on the global scale. MOPITT measurements enable scientists to analyze the distribution, transport, sources and sinks of CO, a trace gas produced by methane oxidation, hydrocarbons released by plants, fossil fuel consumption and biomass burning. MOPITT has been operational since March 2000. It ceased operations in January 2026.

MOPITT Product Availability

The permanent archive of MOPITT data is ASDC. Data is accessible:

Documentation

MOPITT retrievals of carbon monoxide vertical profiles and total column are available for the period starting March 3, 2000 and continuing to the present. There is no operational MOPITT product for methane, due to a variety of problems with the methane-channel radiances. Some of these issues are documented in the 2005 paper "Effects of a spectral surface reflectance on measurements of backscattered solar radiation: Application to the MOPITT methane retrieval" by Pfister et al.

For each release there is a user's guide and data quality statement.

User Guides

Data Quality Statements

Algorithm Theoretical Basis Documents (ATBD)

The MOPITT Experiment

MOPITT is an instrument flying aboard NASA's Terra satellite, which was launched in December, 1999. MOPITT collected data from March 3, 2000 through January 31, 2025.

How MOPITT Works

MOPITT is a correlated radiometer that retrieves profiles and total column CO.

Publications

Here are some of the scientific publications that are based on the analysis of MOPITT data.

Refereed Articles Bibliography With Abstracts
Articles with Team Member Authors Bibliography With Abstracts
Theses Bibliography With Abstracts
Non-Refereed Articles Bibliography With Abstracts