MLS/Aura Daily Binned Cloud Ice Water Content on Assorted Grids

Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) daily binned data for cloud ice water content (IWC) derived from the 240 GHz radiometer on NASA's Aura satellite. The data version is 4.2, providing near-global coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude at a 4x5 degree resolution. Each netCDF4 file contains six group objects with statistical summaries (average, min, max, std dev, rms) across different vertical coordinate systems.

Use Cases

• Analyzing global cloud ice water content distributions based on the lat-lon map vs pressure data groups.
• Studying zonal mean trends in cloud ice based on the latitude vs pressure and potential temperature groups.
• Investigating polar vortex effects on cloud microphysics using the equivalent latitude vs potential temperature and vortex average groups.
• Validating climate model cloud parameterizations using the provided statistical fields (average, min, max, std dev, rms).

Strengths

• Data is derived from the EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder, a well-established NASA satellite instrument.
• Provides multiple data perspectives with six distinct group objects per file, including statistical summaries.
• Spatial coverage is near-global, spanning from -82 to +82 degrees latitude.
• Archived in netCDF4 format, which is compatible with HDF5 readers and standard scientific tools.

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 limited to 215 to 82.5 hPa.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Derived from radiances measured by the 240 GHz radiometer on the EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS).

Time Range

Daily binned product; specific date range is not provided in the description.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03 13 00:33:38.923618; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Near-global coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude.