ML3DZCH3CL: Daily Methyl Chloride Measurements from Aura Satellite, 2005-Present

Near-global (-82 to +82 degrees latitude) daily binned measurements of methyl chloride (CH3Cl) in the stratosphere, collected by the NASA Aura satellite's Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instrument. The dataset, produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, covers the period from August 2, 2005 to the present. Data is provided on zonal and vertical grids, with a recommended useful vertical range between 147 and 4.64 hPa.

Use Cases

• Modeling stratospheric chlorine chemistry based on methyl chloride mixing ratios.
• Analyzing long-term trends in atmospheric halocarbons based on data from 2005 to present.
• Studying zonal and vertical distribution of trace gases based on latitude vs pressure grids.
• Investigating polar vortex dynamics based on equivalent latitude vs potential temperature data.

Strengths

• Continuous temporal coverage from August 2005 to the present.
• Near-global spatial coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude.
• Data includes statistical measures (average, min, max, standard deviation, rms) for each grid group.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is 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).

Time Range

August 2, 2005 to current

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 00:04:32.207326; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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