Daily Binned Atmospheric Humidity Profiles from Aura MLS Satellite

Near-global (-82 to +82 degrees latitude) daily binned measurements of relative humidity with respect to ice (RHI) derived from the EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) 118 and 190 GHz radiometers. Data is provided on assorted vertical grids with a spatial resolution of 4 degrees latitude by 5 degrees longitude. The product is archived by NASA's GES DISC as version 5.1.

Use Cases

• Analyze lat-lon map vs pressure group data to study the spatial distribution of humidity anomalies.
• Use lat vs pressure zonal mean data to compute climatological averages of relative humidity with respect to ice.
• Compare average, min, max, and std dev fields within the vortex average vs theta group for polar atmospheric studies.
• Correlate humidity profiles from the equivalent lat vs theta zonal mean group with other atmospheric state variables.
• Validate model outputs against the dataset's geolocation fields and grid attributes across the recommended 316 to 0.0215 hPa pressure range.

Strengths

• Near-global spatial coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude.
• Data provided on multiple vertical grids (pressure and theta) with six distinct group objects per file.
• Includes statistical fields such as average, minimum, maximum, standard deviation, and RMS for each data group.
• Vertical resolution is between 3 and 6 km across the useful range.

Limitations

• The specific row count and total data volume are not provided in the description.
• Data is stored in netCDF4 format, which may require specialized tools or libraries for analysis.
• Users must consult external documentation (the EOS MLS Level 2 Quality Document) for proper usage guidance.

Provenance

Source

NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC).

Collection Method

Derived from radiances measured by the 118 and 190 GHz radiometers on the EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS).

Time Range

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Freshness

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Geography

Near-global, -82 to +82 degrees latitude, 4° lat by 5° lon resolution.