MLS/Aura: Daily Binned Carbon Monoxide Mixing Ratios on Global Grids, 2004-Present

EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) daily binned data for carbon monoxide (CO) mixing ratios derived from 640 GHz radiometer radiances. The data version is 4.2, with coverage from August 2, 2004 to the present. Data is provided on assorted vertical grids with near-global spatial coverage (-82 to +82 degrees latitude) at 4 by 5-degree resolution.

Use Cases

• Analyze global carbon monoxide distribution patterns based on lat-lon map vs pressure data groups.
• Study zonal mean variations of CO with altitude based on lat vs pressure and lat vs theta groups.
• Investigate polar vortex chemistry based on vortex average vs theta data groups.
• Calculate statistical properties of CO fields based on average, min, max, standard deviation, and RMS data fields.

Strengths

• Continuous daily data coverage from August 2004 to the present.
• Near-global spatial coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude.
• Data is provided in netCDF4 format, compatible with HDF5 readers and tools.
• Each file contains six distinct data groups for different analysis perspectives.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The recommended useful vertical range is between 215 and 0.00464 hPa, limiting analysis outside this range.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Derived from radiances measured by the EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) 640 GHz radiometer.

Time Range

August 2, 2004 to current

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 00:05:20.145438; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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