Daily Zonal Hydrogen Chloride Measurements from Aura Satellite

MLS/Aura Level 3 data provides daily binned hydrogen chloride (HCl) mixing ratios on zonal and vertical grids, derived from the 640 GHz Microwave Limb Sounder radiometer. The dataset offers near-global spatial coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude, with profiles spaced approximately 165 km along the orbit track. It is produced by NASA's Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) and archived at the GES DISC.

Use Cases

• Analyze lat vs pressure zonal mean HCl averages to track the global distribution of stratospheric chlorine.
• Use equivalent latitude vs potential temperature zonal mean data to study polar vortex chemistry and ozone hole dynamics.
• Model atmospheric transport by correlating HCl min, max, and standard deviation fields across the recommended 100 to 0.316 hPa vertical range.
• Investigate seasonal variability by comparing daily binned HCl mixing ratios across the 15 orbits captured per day.

Strengths

• Near-global spatial coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude.
• Vertical resolution between 3 and 6 km across the useful range of 100 to 0.316 hPa.
• Data includes statistical fields like average, min, max, standard deviation, and RMS for each grid group.

Limitations

• Specific row count and total file size are unknown.
• Temporal coverage is described only as 'one year of data' per file, with exact years unspecified.
• Data requires specialized knowledge of netCDF4/HDF5 formats and atmospheric science to interpret correctly.

Provenance

Source

NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) / GES DISC.

Collection Method

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

Time Range

Data files contain one year of data; specific years are not provided.

Geography

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