MLS/Aura: Daily Binned Methyl Chloride Levels in the Stratosphere, 2004 to Present

EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) daily binned methyl chloride (CH3Cl) mixing ratio data from August 2, 2004 to current. The dataset provides near-global coverage (-82 to +82 degrees latitude) at a 4x5 degree resolution, with vertical profiles between 147 and 4.64 hPa. Data is archived in netCDF4 format by NASA's GES DISC.

Use Cases

• Modeling stratospheric transport and chemistry based on methyl chloride mixing ratio profiles.
• Analyzing long-term trends in halogen source gases based on the near-global, multi-decadal time series.
• Studying polar vortex dynamics using the 'equivalent latitude' vs 'potential temperature' zonal mean data groups.
• Mapping spatial distributions of CH3Cl using the lat-lon map vs pressure data groups.

Strengths

• Data coverage spans from August 2004 to present, providing a multi-decadal record.
• Spatial coverage is near-global (-82 to +82 degrees latitude) at 4x5 degree resolution.
• Vertical resolution is specified as 4-6 km in the lower stratosphere and 8-10 km above 14 hPa.
• Data is structured in netCDF4 files with six distinct group objects for different analysis perspectives.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The recommended useful vertical range is limited to between 147 and 4.64 hPa.

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,我们发现2004 to current

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 00:04:33.439543; data is updated to current.

Geography

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