MLS/Aura Level 2 Diagnostics: Geophysical Parameter Grid from 2004 to Present

August 8, 2004 to current data from the EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) containing geophysical diagnostic quantities. The dataset provides near-global coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude with profiles spaced ~165 km along the orbit track and vertical resolution typically ranging from 3 to 6 km. It is produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and stored in HDF-EOS5 format.

Use Cases

• Analyzing atmospheric temperature profiles based on the vertical resolution and geophysical parameter grid.
• Studying global distribution of atmospheric water vapor based on the near-global spatial coverage.
• Investigating atmospheric chemistry for species like ozone or nitrogen compounds based on the diagnostic quantities.
• Validating climate models based on the long-term, continuous data record from 2004 onward.

Strengths

• Long-term temporal coverage from August 2004 to the present day.
• Near-global spatial coverage spanning -82 to +82 degrees latitude.
• Vertical resolution for profiles typically ranges from 3 to 6 km.
• Data is produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Satellite observations from the EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instrument.

Time Range

August 8, -2004 to current

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 00:35:24.078872; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Near-global (-82 degrees to +82 degrees latitude)