MLS/Aura Daily Nitric Acid Measurements on Zonal Grids, 2005 to Present

MLS/Aura Level 3 daily binned nitric acid (HNO3) mixing ratio data derived from satellite radiance measurements. The dataset provides near-global coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude at 4-degree increments, with a recommended vertical range from 215 to 1.47 hPa. Data coverage spans from August 2, 2005 to the present, and files are archived in netCDF4 format.

Use Cases

• Modeling stratospheric nitric acid distribution based on daily binned zonal means.
• Analyzing long-term trends in HNO3 for climate studies based on the 2005-present time series.
• Studying polar vortex chemistry based on the vortex average vs potential temperature data group.
• Validating atmospheric chemistry models based on the provided statistical fields (average, min, max, std dev, rms).

Strengths

• Provides continuous daily data from August 2005 to the present.
• Offers near-global spatial coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude.
• Data is structured into four distinct group objects for different analytical perspectives.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The recommended useful vertical range is limited to between 215 and 1.47 hPa.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Derived from radiances measured by the 240 GHz and 190 GHz radiometers on the EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) satellite.

Time Range

August 2, 2005 to current

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 00:32:07.267412; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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