AIRS2RET: Global Atmospheric Profiles from Aqua Satellite

Global data from the AIRS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite provides retrieved atmospheric profiles and surface properties. The standard retrieval product includes temperature profiles at 28 pressure levels, moisture profiles at 14 layers, plus estimates for ozone, carbon monoxide, methane, and cloud properties. Data is organized into 240 granules per day, each covering a 6-minute interval with a horizontal resolution of 50 km and an approximate 16-day orbit repeat cycle.

Use Cases

• Analyzing global temperature profiles based on 28-level vertical resolution data.
• Studying atmospheric water vapor distribution using 14-layer moisture profiles.
• Monitoring trace gas concentrations like carbon monoxide and methane from retrieved estimates.
• Investigating cloud properties and surface characteristics for climate model validation.

Strengths

• Provides a multi-parameter atmospheric profile including temperature, water vapor, ozone, CO, and methane.
• Offers defined spatial (50 km) and vertical (28 levels for temperature) resolution for consistent global coverage.
• Data collection is systematic, with 240 granules produced daily from a well-documented satellite instrument.

Limitations

• Specific column names and dataset size (row count) are not provided in the available metadata.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without clear terms.
• The product relies on AIRS infrared data only after 2007 due to increased noise in a companion sensor.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Retrievals from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) grating spectrometer aboard the EOS Aqua satellite.

Time Range

Data collection began at least since June 2007, with ongoing daily granules.

Freshness

2026-04-10 17:16:52.680139

Geography

Global coverage from the polar-orbiting Aqua satellite.