ML3DZCLO: Daily Binned Chlorine Monoxide Mixing Ratios from Aura Satellite

Near-global (-82 to +82 degrees latitude) daily binned measurements of chlorine monoxide (ClO) mixing ratios from the EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS). The data version is 5.1, with coverage from August 2, 2005 to present, archived in netCDF4 format. This dataset is produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and includes zonal means and vortex averages across multiple orbit and day/night profiles.

Use Cases

• Modeling stratospheric ozone depletion based on chlorine monoxide mixing ratios.
• Analyzing polar vortex dynamics using the vortex average vs potential temperature groups.
• Studying diurnal variations in atmospheric chemistry using the daytime (SZA < 90) and nighttime (SZA > 110) profile subdivisions.
• Investigating latitudinal distribution of ClO using the 4-degree latitude zonal increments.

Strengths

• Long-term coverage from August 2005 to present, providing over 18 years of data.
• Near-global spatial coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude.
• Data is structured into multiple groups (zonal mean, vortex average) and subsets (ascending/descending orbit, day/night) for detailed analysis.
• Archived in netCDF4 format, which is compatible with standard HDF5 readers and tools.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The recommended useful vertical range is limited to between 147 and 1.0 hPa.
• Row count and total file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

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

Time Range

August 2, 2005 to current

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 00:05:12.219613; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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