MLS/Aura Daily Binned Ozone Mixing Ratio on Zonal Grids

MLS/Aura satellite data provides near-global ozone measurements from 261 to 0.0215 hPa pressure levels. The data version is 5.1, with files containing one year of data in netCDF4 format. This product is archived by NASA's GES DISC and was last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling stratospheric ozone profiles based on daily binned zonal mean data.
• Analyzing diurnal ozone variations based on daytime (SZA < 90) and nighttime (SZA > 110) profile groups.
• Studying polar vortex dynamics based on the 'equivalent latitude' vs 'potential temperature' zonal mean group.
• Calculating ozone climatology and variability based on the provided average, min, max, and standard deviation fields.

Strengths

• Data covers near-global latitudes from -82 to +82 degrees at 4-degree increments.
• Vertical resolution is between 2.5 and 6 km across the recommended useful range.
• Files contain multiple analysis groups (e.g., ascending/descending orbit, day/night) with statistical summaries.
• Data is archived in the widely compatible netCDF4 format.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

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

Time Range

Each file contains one year of data; specific years are not stated.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03 13 00:03:31.240654; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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