MLS/Aura Level 2 Diagnostics: Atmospheric Profiles from Satellite Remote Sensing

MLS/Aura Level 2 Diagnostics provides geophysical parameters from the Microwave Limb Sounder instrument aboard NASA's Aura satellite. Data coverage spans from August 2004 to the present, with near-global spatial coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude. The data is stored in HDF-EOS5 format and contains swath objects for diagnostic measurements along orbital tracks.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical profiles of atmospheric chemistry based on geophysical diagnostic quantities.
• Studying temporal trends in atmospheric temperature and water vapor based on data from August 2004 onward.
• Mapping near-global distribution of atmospheric constituents based on latitude coverage from -82 to +82 degrees.
• Investigating orbital sampling patterns based on profiles spaced ~165 km along the track.

Strengths

• Long temporal coverage from August 2004 to current, providing over 15 years of data.
• Near-global spatial coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude.
• Data is produced by NASA, an authoritative source for satellite remote sensing.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Vertical resolution varies between species, which may complicate cross-parameter analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instrument.

Time Range

August 8, 2004 to current

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 00:35:08.700432; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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