MLS/Aura Level 2 Diagnostics: Satellite Atmospheric Profiles from 2004 to Present

EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder diagnostic data includes tangent pressure, chi-square values, and cloud-induced radiances for selected channels. The dataset provides near-global coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude, with profiles spaced 1.5 degrees along the orbit track, and has been collected since August 8, 2004. Data is stored in HDF5 format with two files generated per day by NASA.

Use Cases

• Analyzing retrieval algorithm performance based on chi-square values describing fits to measured radiances
• Studying cloud influence on atmospheric measurements based on inferred cloud-induced radiances
• Investigating vertical atmospheric structure based on tangent pressure and varying vertical resolution
• Mapping global diagnostic parameter trends based on near-global spatial coverage and daily orbital data

Strengths

• Continuous data coverage from August 8, 2004 to the present
• Near-global spatial coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude
• Vertical resolution typically ranges from 3 to 6 km
• Data is stored in the structured HDF5 format with metadata attributes

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

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

Time Range

August 8, 2004 to current

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 00:34:59.725758; freshness should be verified

Geography

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